


Something To Fight For

by HeliumStar



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Age Difference, Depression, Eric is a sweetie, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, I'm scared, Protective Siblings, Slow Burn, This because a much bigger project than i thought, atlas syndrome, both ryders are up and about, gotta add, harry carlyle is the best, i love harry carlyle, i love this game, it's like a fully fledged story now, jane is a tech geek, my first ever smut, out making the galaxy slightly less safe, the pressure is ON, this was meant to be light and easy, you can fight me about it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-03-28 09:47:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 56,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13901451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeliumStar/pseuds/HeliumStar
Summary: After arriving in Andromeda Eric and Jane Ryder have their lives shaken around. After the death of their father, Alec Ryder, his responsibility, along with the fate of thousands of colonists, is thrust into Eric's hands. While her brother finds his footing in his new position, Jane loses hers when she falls for the handsome Dr. Carlyle, her fathers best friend.In a new galaxy with new threats and allies, they have their work set out for them, and a home to fight for.





	1. Chapter 1

Jane sucked in a deep breath, the first in over six hundred years. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted by two cryo technicians. "Easy," one of them soothed her. He was a short man with kind eyes and a gentle smile. The other technician was a woman who looked equally friendly and welcoming.

"Welcome to Andromeda, Jane Ryder," the woman said.

"We made it," Jane sounded as if she didn't believe it. "What about my brother? And my father?"

The man chuckled. "They're both awake and waiting for you. But let's get you to the Cryo Bay and get some coffee in you, all right?"

Jane nodded eagerly and with the help of the two technicians she got up and headed towards the Cryo Bay. Several others were in the process of being thawed and awoken from their cryogenic slumber. Jane recognized a few, engineers and some mechanics that had tended to the ship back in the Milky Way.

Jane lit up with a smile when she walked out of the narrow corridor into a larger room. "Eric," she extended her arms and caught her brother that rushed over to her to embrace her.

"Jane," he sighed a breath of relief into her hair. "Looks like I beat you out into the world this time."

His sister laughed. "You're the only one who thinks it's a competition," she said. "You smell like coffee. Is there any left or have you drank it all?"

Eric playfully ruffled her hair. "You let the doctors look you over, and I'll get you a cup, okay?" He turned his head and waved at one of the doctors tending to another member of the Pathfinder team. Jane recognized the patient as Liam Costa and the doctor as Harry Carlyle.

Liam and Jane had met on earth. It had been a brief meeting where they were introduced and spent about an hour or two together before they had to part ways. He was about the same age as Jane. His skin was dark, and his hair stood high in delightful curls. He wore a smile that could light up a dark room.

Harry was a family friend and had been for as long as Jane could remember. Her father, Alec Ryder, and Harry were good friends, and Harry had been the one who'd supervised Eric and Jane when they entered cryo. He was a handsome man with pale brown eyes, tanned skin and silver strands in his hair.

Harry waved back at Eric, who pointed at his sister and mouthed 'just of out cryo,' to which Harry gave an affirmative nod.

"You're in good hands," Eric said to Jane. "I'll get you that coffee." He turned on his heels and walked away.

"Hey, Ryder," Liam smiled when Jane walked over. "Finally, right?"

Jane nodded eagerly. "I didn't even want to hit snooze once," she said and then looked at Dr. Carlyle. "Doctor," she greeted him. "Back to work already?"

He smiled at her. "Indeed. Your father was here just a little while ago. He wants the pathfinding team mission ready within the hour."

Jane looked at Liam. "A mission? Already?"

"I know just as much as you do about it. It'll be nice with a bit of adventure though?" Liam looked very excited to get going.

"All right, Liam. You're healthy and ready to go," Dr. Carlyle said.

Liam was up on his feet in an instant. "Yes!" He stepped out of the way and allowed Jane to take his place. "Your turn."

After a quick examination, Harry deemed Jane to be fit and thoroughly thawed. "Let's just have a quick look at your SAM implant," he mumbled, stepping over to a console. "SAM? Are you online?"

A soft but slightly robotic voice replied, "Yes, Dr. Carlyle. Good morning, Jane."

"Hello, SAM," Jane replied.

Eric came back with a cup of coffee in his hands. "You better finish this one quickly. Dad's getting impatient," he said.

Jane nodded and took a sip of the bitter liquid.

"Everything checks out fine," Harry seemed pleased. "Let me just-"

He was interrupted by a loud creak. It sounded as if the ship was capsizing, the metal groaning and the entire ship shuddering.

Without warning, the whole room jerked, shaking the people and the content around violently. Jane fell onto her brother, coffee spilling from the cup only to become a solid shape midair as the gravity shifted.

Everything and everyone floated helplessly in the air. "What's going on?" Eric asked. "What was that?"

The doors to the medbay slid open, and a blond woman in initiative clothing gracefully floated inside, pulling herself along the wall towards the console on the inside of the door. "This is Cora. I'm the Cryo Bay. Brace for a reset!" She spoke both to the people in the room and whoever was listening on her radio.

She pressed a few buttons, and the gravity shifted again. Jane and Eric grunted as they landed in a heap on the floor. Jane's coffee cup crashed into the floor and broke, and the floating coffee splashed against the white tiles.

"Is everyone all right?" Cora asked, eyes darting around the room. No one seemed seriously injured.

Jane got up and offered her brother a hand. "You okay?"

"A little shaken," Eric smiled at her.

Cora jogged over to them. "Nice to see you again. Feels like centuries since we spoke," she said, giving Jane's shoulder a pat.

"Good to see you too, Cora. What happened?" Jane asked, referring to the ship's tremor.

"We ran into an energy cloud. The Pathfinder want you both on the bridge, now."

Jane and Eric nodded. Jane turned to Liam, he and Harry both seemed fine. Liam had a few minor cuts on his hands that Harry was already tending to. "I'll catch up," Liam said. "Don't worry about me."

"See you in a bit," Eric said and gave his sister's back a light shove. "Let's go."

Alec Ryder was speaking to Captain Dunn, a short woman with determination enough to supply an army. "I still think we should make our way to the Nexus," she said.

"You know that we were to proceed to our Golden World if the other arks weren't present," Alec argued. "I say we set course for Habitat 7."

"There are twenty thousand people asleep on this ship. You want to risk their lives or give them a chance to actually wake up?"

Eric exchanged glances with his sister. "I'd prefer solid ground," he admitted silently.

"Habitat 7 is part of the plan," Jane agreed.

Captain Dunn sighed. "Great. Three Ryders to fight instead of one," she muttered.

Alec turned and gave his daughter a quick smile, then looked at the Captain again. "Take us closer, Captain. Let's have a look at the new Earth."

Reluctantly, Captain Dunn ordered the ship to proceed through the vicious looking clouds of dark energy. They looked like smoldering claws reaching for the ship as they passed. 

A planet came into view, and a wave of distressed gasps sounded throughout the bridge. "Oh no..." Eric stepped forward without thinking, standing between his father and Captain Dunn to look out at the disaster that was Habitat 7. The planet looked as if it had been scorched by the energy clouds.

"That's our Golden World?"

"That can't be it. The scans said it was a perfect world for human settlement," Jane said, shaking her head.

Her father did not seem discouraged. "We won't know for sure how bad it is until we go down and have a look."

"It doesn't really look like it will be a walk in the park," Eric mumbled.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Alec asked him.

Eric looked back out at the ruined planet. "I've only had one cup of coffee, get me another, and I'll race you down there."

Alec smiled at his son. "All right. Captain, prepare two shuttles. Cora, I want the team ready in thirty."

"Yes, sir," Cora replied as Alec hurried out of the bridge, rushing to oversee preparations.

Cora was older than both Jane and Eric, but not by many years. She was their fathers second in command and a former huntress that trained and worked with the asari.

"Looks like we should go and get ready," Jane said. "Suit up and meet you at the shuttle?" She looked at Eric.

"I need another cup of coffee, see you at the shuttle," he said.

Jane and Cora headed down to put their suits on. They wore the same tight-fitting suit with padded shoulders and jump jets strapped to their backs.

Once Jane had changed she leaned against her locker and watched Cora wipe a stain from her helmet. "First mission in Andromeda. How do you feel?" Jane asked.

"We've trained a long time for this," Cora said. "Can't go back now."

Jane grabbed her helmet and followed Cora to the shuttle bay. They were both surprised to find Dr. Carlyle loading equipment into a crate.

"Dr. Carlyle," Cora said as she and Jane approached the shuttles. "You aren't staying on the Hyperion?"

Harry looked up at the two women and shook his head, closing the crate and standing up.

"Alec wants a medic on the team," he explained. "And hey, if that's home down there then I'm happy to knock on the door."

"You got a quote ready for the occasion?" Jane asked.

Harry smiled at her. "I'm sure your father will take care of that," said before bending down and picking the crate up, carrying it into one of the shuttles.

Eric joined them shortly after that, followed by Liam and lastly, Alec.

"Alright everybody," Alec said. The team gathered around him. Besides Cora, Liam, Harry and the twins there were three men; Greer, Fisher, and Kirkland. "Everyone on this ark are counting on us to find them a home. Everything points to that planet down there being the new Earth. It's our job to have a look." Alec watched the small crowd as he spoke, eyes lingering on his two children for a moment. "Let's get down there and find ourselves a home, shall we?"

Agreeing murmurs sounded throughout the team, and everyone except the Ryders divided themselves into the two shuttles.

Alec looked at his children and gave them a nod. "I need you both sharp down there," he said sternly before his expression softened. "Your mother would have been so proud of you. Both of you."

Eric nodded. "See you on the ground," he said and turned around, stepping into the shuttle behind him.

Jane watched as the doors to the shuttle closed before following her father and taking the seat between Cora and Dr. Carlyle.

The shuttle door closed and the engine buzzed before taking off to take the passengers to Habitat 7.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pathfinding team heads down to Habitat 7. The planet's plagued by thunderstorms, unfamiliar dangers, and alien life.

Alec Ryder stood at the front of the shuttle, surveying the dark claw-like clouds while instructing the pilot to take them closer to the ground.

"Get ready for a bumpy ride," the pilot said.

Despite the warning, Jane got up and headed towards the window to get a good look at the planet as they drew nearer. The inhabitable world seemed ever more hopeless up close. Rocky mountains and deep canyons littered the ground.

"The mountains are floating," Liam said. He was in the other shuttle, but the radio allowed everyone to hear him.

His words brought Jane's attention to the enormous masses of stone that floated hundreds of feet above the planet's ground. She stared slack Jared at the sight, her helmet not allowing her mouth to open all the way.

"Look," Cora said and got up to stand beside Jane. "That structure. It's got to be advanced engineering." She pointed at three tower-like buildings protruding from the ground.

The ship suddenly sifted, and they both tumbled to the floor, not having the time to brace themselves against anything before she went down.

"Shit!" A voice said, radio sparking with disturbance. "Then lightning-, we-, ion-, emergency-."

Incoherent pieces of words were all that got through. Alec cursed, stumbling over to the window on the right and watching the other shuttle fall to pieces as it was on course for a crash.

In the other shuttle, the pilot struggled to keep the small ship from crashing into the nearest mountain. Another lightning struck them, and the door of the shuttle was torn off. The surge of air sucked Liam out of the vehicle, and he dangled from the open wall of the shuttle.

"Liam!" Eric shouted, grasping at Liam's hand.

"Ryder!" Liam yelled before another gust of wind ripped him away from the shuttle, sending him flying. Eric lost his balance and tumbled out of the ship, falling helplessly towards the ground.

He let out a shout. "SAM, help!"

_ "Your jump jet is malfunctioning." _ The AI stated.

"Then get it fixed! SAM!" Eric failed around, unable to do much in the open air.

When he neared the ground, the jet on his back spurted to life and dampened his speed, and with a swing of his arm, he drained some of his energy to try and soften the landing further, biotics pushing against the ground and probably saving him from breaking his legs.

Eric laid on the ground for a few moments. Panting and staring up at the unfamiliar sky.

"Ryder."

The young man got up and spotted Liam running towards him. "Liam, you made it," Eric sighed in relief, happy not to be alone on a strange planet.

"Yeah, thanks for trying to save me," Liam said.

"I'll do better next time," Eric promised.

Liam looked around. "The comm is down. I can't get a signal. Did you see the shuttle go down?"

Eric shook his head. "I was too busy trying not to die," he said. "SAM, come in," he spoke into the radio.

"No use," Liam shook his head. "Told you it's broken."

Eric cursed and had a look around. "I reckon we'd find the shuttle if we followed the smoke." He pointed at a slim pillar of smoke rising from behind the cliff.

"Lead the way, Ryder," Liam said.

-

"Is everyone all right?" Alec asked. "Jane? Cora?"

"We're okay," Cora said after a quick look around.

The landing had been rough, and very much an emergency. The energy clouds hindered father progress and forced them to land in a small clearing.

The pilot was unhurt and got straight to work, attempting to repair what damage the shuttle had taken.

Jane looked around. "Look," she pointed at a structure in the distance. "That tower is doing something now. It looks like it's... charging the clouds?"

"Good eye," her father said. "It looks well worth investigating." He turned to his second in command. "Cora, I'll scout ahead, stay and keep an eye on the shuttle. Our comms are down. Jane, get those back up."

"Yes, sir," Cora and Jane said in unison.

Jane wasted little time trying to figure out how to repair the communication systems. It looked like an overload of energy, something that could be fixed but would require some time.

"Harry, is the toolbox still in the shuttle? Or did we lose it on the way down?"

The doctor picked a medium sized toolbox from the shuttle. "Will this do?" He asked.

"It will do nicely," Jane said. Using a screwdriver to unscrew the console from the communication device and looking at the damage under it. "I can work with this." She quickly repaired a cable and screwed the device's top back on.

"Ryder, Dr. Carlyle," Cora called. "We've got alien life closing in on us."

Jane eagerly looked up. "Maybe they could help?" She suggested hopefully.

She'd barely finished her sentence when charged bullets flew over her head, hitting the side of the shuttle and creating fine dents in the steel. She ducked down out of the way, and Cora and Harry quickly took cover.

"Doesn't seem like the helpful sort," Cora growled, crouching behind a stack of crates and taking her gun from its holster. "Take cover!"

Jane drew her weapon, flicking the safety switch and hiding behind a conveniently box sized rock.

She brought her omnitool up, fingers dancing over the display as she tried to repair the comm. It sparked to life, but no one had time to see to it while the aliens fired at them.

The pilot had been hit and fell lifeless to the ground. "Shit!" Harry cursed, somewhere behind Jane. He stood up and fired a few shots at the Aliens, downing one of them.

"Jane!" A familiar voice called.

Jane perked out from behind the cover. "Eric!" She cheered. "You're alive!"

Eric and Liam joined the fight, followed by Fisher, Greer and Kirkland, guns blazing and biotics glowing. "You guys alright?" Eric asked.

"Pilot's dead!" Harry yelled to be heard over the gunshots. "Jane, how's those comms looking?"

"Jane, to establish contact the receiver needs to be moved to a more open space," SAM's voice broke through the static, although just barely. "I've spotted a suitable location 23 meters north of your current position."

"Kind of don't want to get any closer to those things," Jane frowned and looked at the receiver. It was light, not larger than the toolbox. "Damn," she cursed and snatched the device from the ground, tucking it under her arm and firing a round of shots at the aliens as she ran out of cover and headed towards the rocks.

She ducked in under some cliffs and put the device down, snapping its antenna into place. "How's that, SAM?"

_ "QEC links re-established." _ SAM's voice became clear, and Jane's omnitool blinked as it reconnected.

A victorious smile spread across Jane's face, and she celebrated by reloading and rejoining the fight. She spotted Liam not too far away, ripping a grenade from his belt and throwing it at a cluster of aliens.

Two of them were blown to pieces, and Jane heard her brother over the comm, "Nice!"

Eric took his stand on the right side of the shuttle, while Liam guarded the left. He couldn't see his sister but assumed that she was taking cover somewhere like the rest of them.

"Aah!" Jane suddenly screamed.

"Jane!" Cora rose from cover.

"They've got some scary cloaking creatures with them!" Jane cried. "Scared the living hell out of me!"

Eric grinned. "Guess we should have told you about those."

Eric saw where the air shifted slightly and aimed his gun and shot. A growl sounded before a creature slowly became visible before him. A reptile-like beast with a tail, sharp teeth and four sturdy legs. He charged his biotics and pushed the beast back before ending it with a bullet between the eyes.

"They're air dropping in!" Cora shouted. "Take 'em out quick!"

A green shuttle soared into view, and another group of the odd aliens dropped out of it, ready to fight. They were monstrous, with an armor that looked to be growing out of them, the color and strength or hardened bone.

"They're pushing harder!"

"Jane's down! I repeat! Jane is down!"

Despite the cracking of thunder, rattling of guns and surge of biotic energies everyone on the team heard Liam shout. There was almost a pause in the fight, but the aliens pushed harder than before seeing how everyone seemed discouraged by their fallen member.

"Jane!" Eric charged towards the nearest alien, slamming it in the chest with as much power he could muster. His biotics lit up like fireworks, and the creature was tossed several yards back, crashing into a rock and falling dead to the ground. He ran towards his twin sister and knelt by her side, shielding her and himself from a storm of bullets. "Jane, please," he begged his sister.

She groaned hoarsely, eyes fluttering open and close as she tried to focus on her brother. "Eric?" she said, pouting her lips and pressing her hand against her abdomen, that was bleeding profusely. "I think I'm hit."

Relief washed over Eric. Jane was still alive, and as long as she was alive, there was still time to save her. "Don't worry," Eric cooed at her, grunting slightly when a grenade bounced off his biotic shield, the explosion threatening to break through. "We'll patch you back up, Jane. I've got your back."

Jane didn't answer, but her free hand clutched at her pistol, gripping the handle tightly. She lifted it and shot at an alien dashing towards them, but it didn't take long before she couldn't raise her arm because of the fatigue.

She watched her brother protect her, momentarily lowering the shield to fire at the aliens before bringing the shield back up around them. It sparkled in pretty blue and purple colors. Jane was dizzy, it was starting to get cold, and a dark vignette lined her vision.

"Eric," she said. Her voice wasn't more than a whisper, but her brother heard her, and he leaned closer. "Eric, I'm dying," Jane said.

"No," Eric refused to believe that. "You're not dying. You're going to be okay."

Just as he said that the others came running, surrounding them. Had the aliens been defeated? Jane couldn't tell, there was too much noise in her ears to know if the fighting had stopped or not. Her eyes scanned those around her, catching a glimpse of Liam and Cora behind Eric, and Dr. Carlyle pushing his way through the small crowd to get to her.

Eric grasped her hand in his, and she turned to look at him. "We're getting you out of here."

Harry Carlyle knelt beside the two twins and quickly sprung into action, tending to Jane's wound. "You'll be all right," he said. The answer was standard, rushed. The kind of thing you say to calm anyone who's anything but all right.

"Come in, Ryders," Alec Ryder's voice sounded over the comm. "Come in, Cora. What's your situation?"

"Had a run in with those aliens, they cornered us by the shuttle. Jane's hurt," Cora quickly filled Alec in.

It was silent for a few moments. "How's she looking?"

Jane cried out in pain when Eric and Dr. Carlyle attempted to lift her off the ground. "Does that answer your question?" Cora asked.

A string of muttered curses sounded. Alec muttered something under his breath before speaking again. "Harry?"

"I'm here, and I'll do everything I can for her," Harry promised. "You find a way to get us out of here, and quick."

"Roger that," Alec said. "We can't go anywhere with that thunderstorm blocking our path. Eric, Cora, I need the two of you here. Bring anyone that can be spared."

Eric looked at his sister and then at Cora. "You heard him. We move out. Liam, you're with us. The rest of you stay and guard the shuttle," he said. "Harry," he looked at the doctor, eyes grave and lips pressed into a tight line. "Take care of my sister."

Harry gave him a nod. "I will," he said.

Jane looked at her brother, she'd began trembling, and Harry gave her shoulder a soothing squeeze. "Eric, be careful," Jane said, and her brother smiled at her.

"I've got these two to look after me." He gestured at Liam and Cora. "I'll be fine, you focus on getting better."

"You're talking as if I've got a cold," Jane pointed out.

Eric thought for a moment. "We'll both live through this, and we'll find a home." He flashed her a comforting smile. "Don't you die on me, Jane." He saluted her before he rushed off, Cora and Liam following him towards the cliffs.

Jane watched him disappear and then turned her eyes to the Doctor. He looked stressed, and his eyes darted over the screen of his omnitool. Then he knelt beside her to inspect the wound. Fisher, Greer, and Kirkland started loading things into the shuttle, readying it for departure once the all clear was given. Their hasty moments made Jane dizzy.

"Jane, stay with me," Harry said. "I know it's difficult, but you have to stay awake."

"I'll try my best," Jane said.

Harry frowned. She didn't sound good, and she didn't look good either. "SAM," he said. "Can you see her vitals? Is there anything you can give me right now?" He asked.

The comms buzzed and the AI took a moment to respond, most likely putting most of its power and attention to guiding the pathfinder.  _ "Shock is settling in, Dr. Carlyle. Temperature falling," _ SAM announced.  _ "Chance of survival; minimal." _

"Nice to hear," Jane sighed.

"Hey, you're going to be okay," Harry told her again. "Let's keep you warm, and try and stop the bleeding. SAM, can you detect any internal bleeding?" He turned and disappeared from her side for a moment but came back into view after fetching a medkit from the shuttle.

_ "It appears the bullet has gone straight through. No internal bleeding." _

Jane gulped. "Dr. Carlyle," she winced, and a frown spread across her face.

_ "Heart rate increasing. Blood pressure fluctuating." _

"Damnit!" Harry cursed. "Jane! Stay with me! Jane, come on!"

Jane furrowed her brows, fighting the urge to lay back and rest. Harry nodded approvingly and pressed something against the wound. "That's it. Good girl, Jane," he said. "You have to sit up, Jane. I need to see the exit wound."

The young woman did as he asked and when he let her lay back down, she was still. Almost, but not quite dozing off. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but it was difficult. Every time she blinked, it felt as if her eyes weren't going to open again, and every time she closed her eyes Harry begged her to keep fighting. She did.

Harry did what he could, doing a more than decent job of stopping the bleeding and keeping an eye on her vitals that SAM displayed for him on the inside of his helmet. Jane fought for her life. When he spoke to her her eyes immediately found his. He wasn't sure she could hear what he was saying, but she listened and tried to stay attentive.

"You're doing great," Harry told her once he'd done everything he could. The only thing left to do was wait to be evacuated. "How are you feeling?"

Jane didn't answer, but her eyes were filled with pain.

"We'll get you out of here."

"We need an emergency extraction!" They heard Cora order through the comms. "Now!"

Harry frowned. "I'm going to pick you up. We have to get to the shuttle," he said, wrapping one arm around Jane's back and the other under her legs. He picked her up as delicately as he could.

Jane winched and held back tears when the shuttle shook under her, unsettling her and her injury. Kirkland took the pilot's place, getting the shuttle in the air and bringing the coordinates sent by Cora onto the navigation system. Harry strapped Jane into one of the seats, making sure she wouldn't fall out before he hurried to take the co-pilots seat, leaving Jane's side.

Without anyone there to keep her company it was much easier to give in to the urge to close her eyes. She thought about her brother and her father before the interior of the shuttle faded away, and her mind fell into darkness.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane mourns their father and Eric finds out he's been made Pathfinder.

Harry sighed at the empty bed. He'd told Jane to stay put so many times he'd lost count. He and Lexi had taken turns to tell the young woman to stay in bed and get the rest she needed, but Jane was stubborn.

Her healing process had gone smoothly. With reconstructive surgery and amplified tissue-regeneration, Jane was almost fully recovered but she needed to be still so that the internal damage would heal. 

Lexi spotted him standing by the bed and she let out a sigh that sounded just as defeated as his had done. "I looked away for less than a minute," she said with a shake of her head. Her eyes gleaming with disappointment. "Would you mind searching for her? We don't need her to hurt herself further."

"I'll find her," Harry nodded and handed the datapad he carried over to Dr. T'Perry. "Could you have a look at Irma for me? She's here for the checkup, should just be a standard examination and an immediate release."

Lexi nodded. "I'll take care of it. Go and find our runaway patient."

There were only two places Jane would go. Either she'd snuck out to check on her brother in SAM node, or she'd gone to see her father. It would be difficult for her to make her way to the Habitation deck without being seen and stopped, Harry deducted. He made his way to the secluded room a few corridors down. The door was locked, but he knew that Jane could have gone in and out without leaving a trace in the logs.

Harry unlocked the door with his omnitool and the door slid open. He stepped into the dimly lit room. In the far corner, he found the missing patient. Jane sat beside her father's body, her hand clasped around his as she cried, face buried in her arms. Harry silently let the door close behind him.

Jane looked up, cheeks streaked with tears and eyes bloodshot. "Harry," she croaked, she looked guilty to have been caught out of bed. "I just-"

Harry hushed at her. "It's okay," he said. He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

He looked down at Alec. Harry and Alec had been very good friends, and when Alec mentioned the Initiative it was only natural for Harry to sign up. Now, Alec laid lifeless and pale on the hard table, his daughter by his side and his son fighting for his own life, stowed away in SAM Node.

Jane was mortified. Her father was dead and she'd almost lost her twin brother as well. Lexi and Harry had managed to save his life, by plugging Eric directly into SAM. 

All those thoughts and more spun in Jane's head.

Harry's silence was appreciated. Jane cried silently, mourning her father and worrying about her brother. Harry stood silently by her side, providing company and that alone was comforting.

"If I hadn't been so impatient," Jane said, sniffling and wiping at the seemingly endless supply of tears. "If I wouldn't have gotten hurt and I could have gone with them. Helped them."

Harry knelt next to the chair she sat on. "Jane, don't think like that. You almost died down there. Alec would be happy that you're alive and recovering." Harry furrowed his brows and tried to catch Jane's eyes. She avoided looking at him, eyes wandering from one side of the room to the other, just so that she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. "Few people knew Alec like you and I. We both know that he'd give his life to save yours twice if he could."

Jane hated to hear it but the doctor was right. She squeezed her father's hand and began crying again, louder, more desperate. She hunched over and wrapped her arms around herself. Her chest felt as if it was splitting in two and her wounds pulsed with a nearly unbearable pain.

Gentle hushing sounded from Harry as he scooted closer, carefully embracing Jane to comfort her. She let herself fall out of the chair and slump down into his awkward hug. The doctor soothingly patted her on the back, careful not to disturb her wound.

He didn't say anything, not only because he couldn't think of anything to say, but also because he wasn't certain he could. While Jane mourned her father, Harry mourned his best friend. It was utterly heartbreaking to hear Jane sputter and sob. He tightened his grip on her, the sounds she made were muffled when her face was pressed into his chest. Harry gulped, the sorrow in him grew as he looked at Alec's body. He sank his teeth into his bottom lip to keep himself from whimpering. Their friendship had been what drew Harry to Andromeda, without Alec there to see what the galaxy had to offer Harry wasn't certain he wanted to be there.

After several minutes of crying, Jane had tired herself out to the point where all she could do was sniffle. She pulled away from Harry, pushing him away by the shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed to have broken down in front of him. To her surprise, he was crying too, although not as violently and loudly as she.

Harry forced a smile. "It's okay to mourn," he said. "He was your father."

Jane nodded slowly and Harry rose from the floor, putting his hand on Alec's arm and giving it a squeeze. "You were the best of us, Alec," he said and wiped the tears lining his eyes away with the back of his hand. Then he turned to the young woman and helped her stand. "Dr. T'Perry asked me to come and find you," he said. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I had to come here," Jane said. "I needed to be alone."

"I understand," Harry said. "Would you like to stay here for a while longer?"

Jane looked at her father for a short moment before shaking her head. "No, you're right. I shouldn't be out of bed just yet," she said. "I'll head back."

Harry nodded. "Let me accompany you," he offered.

Together they walked back to the medical bay and Jane was able to lie back down in the bed assigned to her. Harry stood by her side and took a look at her vitals for a moment. "Rest," he said as he was leaving. "I'll let Dr. T'Perry know that you've returned."

"Yeah," Jane mumbled. "And Harry," she stopped him before he could walk away. "Thank you."

Harry didn't answer but gave her an understanding look and a nod before heading to his office.

-

Jane laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Since the doctors were treating patients in the same room all the lights had to be on. They had been blinding at first, but Jane had gotten used to the lights and most noises in the room she could ignore.

"Hey, how are you doing?" 

Even without looking Jane knew that it was Cora. The gentle smile Cora wore was evident even in her voice. "I'm doing okay," Jane mumbled. "Doctor's told me to lie still. Both my legs have fallen asleep. There are forty-four ceiling lights in here, and Dr. Boyd has told the same joke to six different patients."

"I see you're keeping yourself busy, even while resting," Cora said and crossed her arms over her chest. "Heard anything about Eric?"

"Not a word," Jane turned her head and looked at Cora. "Liam's in there with him. Keeping an eye out."

Cora sat down on the edge of the bed. "He'll pull through," she tried to comfort Jane. 

"He better," Jane muttered and sat up. She noticed the look Lexi gave her from across the room, a stern look that clearly prompted her to stay in bed. "How are you doing, Cora?" She asked, sitting next to the blonde woman. 

There was a slight pause. "It's difficult without Alec," she confessed. "I've no right, really... to claim to be this sad."

Jane wrapped an arm around Cora's shoulder. "You have every right to be. Everyone who ever knew my father does," Jane mumbled. "You're allowed to be as sad as you want."

Cora nodded slowly, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yes, sorry. I just-... Your father was my mentor. We were close, as you know. Losing him... was kind of like losing a father myself."

Jane understood. She didn't exactly see Cora as a sister, but the amount of time they'd spent together classified them as good friends. "I know he cared for you. Like he cared for me. He always said that he saw so much potential in you, and you should know that."

"Thank you, Jane," Cora mumbled. "That means a lot to hear."

"Guys! Get to SAM Node. Ryder's awake."

Jane looked up and quickly swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Jane, wait," Dr. Carlyle protested. "Be careful!"

Without listening, Jane got up and made her way towards SAM Node. Cora and Lexi barely one step behind her. "Lend me a hand, please," Jane said when they stepped out of the tram shuttle and Cora provided her with a shoulder to lean on.

SAM Node was warm, despite the many cooling systems and Jane sighed in relief when she saw her brother sitting up. He looked to be well, if a little confused. "Eric," she said limping away from Cora and all but falling into her brother's embrace. "You're okay."

Eric smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I told you we'd both live through it," he said. His sister let him go and Lexi immediately started a quick examination. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly two days," Cora said.

Eric followed Lexi's instructions but came to a stop when he spotted the helmet sitting on the table nearby. It was Alec's helmet. Its surface dented and the paint chipped. His eyes went straight to his sister. "Dad..." he said. "Where...?"

With a frown, Jane shook her head. Eric looked at the others, they all wore solemn looks and the silence was deafening. "Eric..." Jane mumbled.

"It was your life or his," Cora said. "I'm sorry, Eric. I know this must be a blow."

Jane limped forward, seating herself next to her brother. She embraced him and he sat like stunned for a few moments. "I don't... I don't understand. He was so confident, so sure that we'd succeed," Eric said.

"He succeeded, Eric," Jane said. "He got us all out of there. He did it. We wouldn't be here without him."

Everyone silently agreed.

Cora spoke again, "He once said that when his time came he wanted to go out among stars no one had seen before." She seemed upset, her eyes were glossy and it was nothing but will that held them back. Liam gave Cora's shoulder a comforting squeeze, she gave him an appreciative nod.

Eric took a moment to process. He seemed numb, face blank and eyes empty of emotion. Jane figured that he was hurting. She took his hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze. Eric looked at her and gave her a brief smile, happy to have her there with him. Then he looked around and his smile turned into a confused pout. "Why are we in SAM Node?" he asked.

Lexi spoke up to try and explain. "SAM is now part of you, in a way we don't entirely understand," she said. "It played havoc with your brain." It didn't make things much clearer for Eric and he looked to his sister for further explanation.

"Your implant, Eric. SAM's fully integrated with you now. It was necessary to save your life," she said.

Eric furrowed his brows. "SAM?"

" _Your father authorized the transfer of pathfinder authority to you,"_  the AI's voice echoed in the room.

"Shouldn't that be Cora?"

Jane shook her head. "You're the new Pathfinder, Eric. Dad made you his successor," she said.

"Me?" Eric frowned. "I haven't had the training or anything like that. I don't know how to be a pathfinder."

"I believe you can do it," Liam said.

"So do I," Jane agreed. "Cora will be by your side, won't you, Cora?" she asked. "She was dad's second in command for a reason, she's capable and loyal."

Cora nodded slowly. "I'll be with you, Ryder. This is what Alec wanted, and I won't stand in the way. But being Pathfinder is a serious job, are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm going to have to be, aren't I?" Eric mumbled. "People will look to their Pathfinder for guidance and I... I have to live up to that."

Cora gave him a sympathetic look. "We're all here for you."

"As Pathfinder, SAM is now linked to your mind on a deeper level," Lexi said and moved over to one of the consoles. "Trying to untangle it kill you."

"I know this is a lot, but we need to start thinking about the next step," Cora said. "Whatever your father did to that thing, it's saved the day. The energy cloud is gone and we're on our way to the rallying point."

"We should be there soon," Liam said but Lexi looked stern.

"Eric needs to rest first, and so does Jane," Lexi said.

Just then Eric remembered his sister's injury and turned to her. "Are you all right?" He asked, eying her and noticing the way she slouched slightly and how her hand rested on her abdomen. "Are you hurting?"

Jane slowly shook her head. "The doctors have patched me up nice and proper, not even a scar," she said with a smile. "And I feel much better now that you're awake, so don't worry about me. Dr. T'Perry and Dr. Carlyle have been worrying about me plenty."

"I see," Eric said. The confused and void look returned to his face. "I'm going to need a moment," he said.

"I'll stay with you," Jane offered.

Eric shook his head. "No, you should rest. I'll have SAM fill me in," he said.

Jane sighed. "As you wish. I'm sure there's a bed, and an angry doctor that's waiting for me back in the medbay." She smiled at her brother and glanced at Lexy, flashing her a playful grin. She stood back up, struggling for a second or two to find her balance. "Right, off I go," she said, swatting away the help that was offered to her and making her way out of the room. Lexi followed her to make sure Jane returned to bed.

"We'll reach the Nexus in a couple of hours," Cora said. "We'll need our pathfinder by then." She gave Eric an encouraging smile.

Eric nodded. "I'll be ready." He was left alone within SAM node.

_"Your father will be missed,"_  SAM said but the voice didn't echo like it did when SAM had spoken to the rest of the crew. The AI's voice sounded from within Eric's head.

Eric smothered his hands over his face, trying to smooth out his frown. "What's going on, SAM?" he asked.

"This is our private channel. I shared it with your father."

"Why did he do it?" Eric asked, if he asked SAM or himself, he didn't know. "Why me?"

_"Unknown. But he never acted without reason. Alec wouldn't want us to lose sight of the goal. He said pain emboldens our resolve. He'd insist we grow stronger from his passing."_

Eric said nothing and stared at the floor. SAM was in his head. Did that mean he could read Eric's thoughts? And if he could, did he understand what Eric felt? With another deep sigh, he pressed his lips together into a tight line. His father was dead and he was the new Pathfinder, assigned a role he hadn't been prepared for. The responsibility weight down on him like a million pounds.

He wasn't so sure that he was ready, but with a newfound determination he got up, deciding that he'd prove his father right. Eric would be the best Pathfinder he could ever be. He'd take up his father's task and finish it, whatever it took.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hyperion arrives at the Nexus, and Eric is officially introduced as the human Pathfinder.

"There's no stopping her once she's decided, doc," Eric shrugged. "If she says she's going, then she's going."

"I've noticed," Harry muttered dryly just as Jane came into view, dressed and ready to follow her brother. "Just... take it easy, you're not completely out of the woods yet, you need at least a few more days to recover fully."

Jane nodded. "I will, I just... we're finally here. I need to be there."

Eric smiled at her. "There's no one I'd rather have by my side," he said. "Let's head to the bridge, Captain Dunn want us there as soon as we can." He turned to Lexi and winked. "I'll keep an eye on my sister. No running, no swimming, no-"

"All right, we get it," Harry said with a slight chuckle. "Just be careful."

Brother and sister hooked arms as they headed towards the bridge to meet with Captain Dunn. Liam and Cora were already there, supervising as the Hyperion prepared to dock at the Nexus. The enormous structure that was the Nexus floated before them, eerie and silent. Most lights were off, and it was far from finished.

"It's almost as big as the Citadel back home," Liam said, leaning against the railing of the bridge.

"Nexus control, this is Ark Hyperion requesting docking clearance," one of the women sitting by a control console spoke. She furrowed her brows and shook her head. "Captain, I'm only getting their automated approach channel, not a live person."

Captain Dunn looked concerned but determined. "Well, like it or not, we're here. Take us in."

"Construction should have been finished by now," Cora muttered, going to stand beside Jane. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Jane admitted. 

Liam went to stand on jane's other side. "It could be worse," he tried to be optimistic, which Jane appreciated.

Eric, however, looked desperate and frustrated. "How?" he turned to his sister. "Habitat 7's bust! We might have started a war with the first aliens we met, and our Pathfinder's dead!" he shouted. 

"Eric," Jane frowned.

"This better be rock bottom," Eric growled, ignoring his sister's words.

"Green across the board. Docking initiated."

The ship stilled as they docked and connected to the Nexus. Jane looked away from her brother and let out a shaky breath. She knew that Eric was still coping. With their father's death, with being made Pathfinder and how everything had gone to complete and utter shit since they'd arrived in Andromeda.

For a moment she considered staying in the Hyperion while her brother went to the Nexus but she decided against it. He needed her to be there, even if he didn't know it at the moment.

"All right, I got us here," Captain Dunn said, breaking the tense silence. "Good luck, Pathfinder."

Eric gulped and quickly marched out of the bridge, Cora, Liam, and Jane followed him. They walked through Habitation, and Cora jogged to catch up to Eric while Liam and Jane lingered a few feet behind. 

Cora placed a hand on Eric's shoulder, effectively stopping him. "Ryder," she said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"The Captain just called me Pathfinder," Eric said. "That should be my father."

"Just take a deep breath," Liam said. 

"This should have been my father's moment," Eric mumbled, looking ready to burst out into tears. Jane didn't know if he'd been to see their father's body. If he'd taken any time to mourn or not.

Cora didn't coddle, but there was sympathy in her eyes. "It's your moment now. You need to decide what to do with it."

Eric looked at his sister, and she nodded. "I'm with you, Eric," Jane said with a weak smile. 

Eric didn't answer, but his grim expression softened, and his shoulders slumped into a more relaxed state. "Right," he said. "Let's go and see what needs to be done." He turned around and headed towards the trams. 

They stepped into the tram shuttle, and Eric pressed the console, hesitating before finalizing the destination and seating himself on one of the benches. "It'll be nice to see some friendly faces."

"The Nexus runs a support crew. Just enough to finish building the station and provide a safe harbor for the arks," Cora explained. 

"Which means we can start waking our people up, right?" Jane asked.

"Yeah," Eric nodded.

"Hey, they built a bar, right?" Liam asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Gotta have champagne for the welcome party," he said with a goofy grin. He looked sincere, and his white teeth peeked out from between his lips.

Jane perked up. "You're expecting a welcome party?" she asked. 

Liam nodded eagerly. "After what we've been through, I could use a buzz."

"We all could," Cora agreed. "I for one is excited to get some real food and a shower."

The tram came to a stop, and Eric got back up on his feet. Jane took his hand as they walked out of the tram shuttle together. "You can do this," she said. "I believe in you, and so did dad. You've got this, Pathfinder."

The Common Area of the Nexus was dark, and no lights were on. The only light was that from the lonely projection of the asari VI, staring into the dark with a perpetual smile. "What's going on?" Jane asked.

"I don't know," Eric pushed her back behind himself. "Let me go and have a look, stay here."

He walked over to the VI and activated it with a gesture. It immediately started its prerecorded greeting.  _"Welcome to the Nexus, gateway to Andromeda,"_  it said, chirping happily to what could have been Milky Way immigrants.  _"I'm Avina, a virtual intelligence designed to assist you with immigration."_

Liam, who'd snuck up behind Eric, spoke up. "Can you tell us where the welcome party is hiding?"

_"I'm sorry. My code is limited to information and simple interaction simulations. Please select from the following pre-programmed responses."_

While her brother and Liam spoke to the VI, Jane decided to take a look around. The room didn't look finished. Several parts of the room were covered with construction structures. Cora and gone over to Eric and Liam but Jane walked further down the ramp, peeking around the corner. 

Eric jumped in place when he heard his sister scream. He practically leaped through Avina's holographic body, and over the railing. "Jane!" He shouted, finding his sister sitting on the floor. A frightened look his her eyes and her lips pressed together in a pout.

"S-Sorry!"

Eric turned around and stared at the man around the corner. "It's okay, Eric. I'm okay," Jane said. 

"I didn't mean to frighten her! I swear it! I just-... You're actually here!" The man said, sounding full of awe. His mouth hung open, and his surprise was so obvious that he looked cartoonish, with his brows high on his forehead and eyes wide as plates.

"We're from Ark Hyperion," Eric said. "Where is everybody?"

Liam helped Jane off the ground. She groaned but appeared to be fine. "Don't tell Lexi," she whispered, and Liam grinned at her and shook his head.

"You're from... an Ark?" The worker looked to have gathered himself. "We thought you were all dead."

"What?"

"Or captured, or lost in dark space, or..." The man shook his head in disbelief. "But you're really here. You have no idea how much this means!"

Footsteps quickly approached, and a turian come walking. "I don't believe it," he said and lit up with a smile. He marched up to Eric and Cora and sized them up. "I'm Tiran Kandros. I lead militia on the Nexus."

"I'm Eric Ryder. This is my sister Jane, Cora Harper and Liam Kosta," Eric introduced himself and his company. "We're all part of the Pathfinder team."

Kandors nodded. "I'm sorry for the confusion. Our sensors told us an ark had arrived, but Helius is notorious for scrambling equipment," he explained. "We thought you were just another malfunction."

Eric glanced at Cora. "I thought you were expecting us," he said, turning back to Kandros. 

"You're the first ark we've seen. After a year of waiting and no sign of the others, we shuttered this area and stopped looking."

Liam did a double take. "You've been stranded for a whole year?"

"Longer," Kandros said and nodded over his shoulder. "I'll fill you in on the way to Ops Center." They followed him as he jogged towards the tram. "Everything that could go wrong with our plan has," Kandros said as he moved. "We arrived fourteen months ago. Right away we hit a band of dark energy that knocked us off course."

"We're familiar with it," Eric nodded.

Kandros opened the doors to the tram and stepped inside, gesturing for the rest to follow. "Then you'll know why we call it the 'Scourge'," he said. "We lost while sections of the station. A lot of people died. No power, no food... the chaos went on for months. It finally led to armed rebellion. When order was restored, the insurgents were banished. 'Exiles', we call them."

"Rebellion?" Jane frowned. "Exiles?"

"Are things back to normal?" Cora asked.

"Not even close," Kandros muttered. "But you're here now, so maybe the worst is over."

The tram took them to another part of the Nexus. The further they got, the more lights were turned on, but it was hardy enough for Eric's taste. The Nexus looked was empty, silent and dark. "No word from the other pathfinders?"

"Not a word from anyone, period." 

"Any threats from the locals?"

Kandros stepped out of the tram when it stopped. "So far, we've stayed hidden. We're in no shape to deal with an attack."

Eric cursed under his breath. "We had a first contact situation on habitat 7. Whole things went south. They tried to kill us."

A humorless chuckle left Kandros. "That wasn't first contact. We know about them. Those aliens are going to be a real threat."

"Wonderful," Cora sighed.

Once they arrived at Operations, Liam split from the group. "You guys go ahead. I'll check out the security situation," he said. 

Jane separated herself from her brother. "I'll go with you," she offered. 

Eric watched Jane and Liam rush around a corner and out of sight. He followed Cora and Kandros up another ramp where other humans, salarians, turians and even a krogan rushed between consoles. Everyone came to a stop when Eric stepped up beside Kandros to watch the crowd.

Three figures drew closer. A human woman, a male salarian, and the krogan, who was also female. "The crew of the Hyperion," the salarian said.

Kandros gave Eric's shoulder a pat. "Good luck," he said before leaving the way they had come.

Eric stared at the ones before him. The disbelief, and wonder displayed on their faces. Eric gave a nervous smile. These people had been stuck in space for fourteen months, and now they looked at him as if he was their savior, and he was afraid of just that. He knew that even more responsibility was about to be thrust into his hands.

The salarian walked up to him with long strides. "I'm Jarun Tann, Director of the Initiative," he introduced himself. "You have no idea how much your arrival means to us." As he spoke, the woman that had been standing by his side joined him. Eric recognized her but couldn't place her. She was a friend of his father, probably.

"Kandros told us what happened. We're here, and ready to help," Eric said, putting as much authority in his voice as he could muster. If he were to take his father's place, he'd make sure that people kept their respect for the name Ryder.

Director Tann didn't look very grateful, but there was a strange look of satisfaction in his eyes. The woman next to him looked wound up, and tense, like she really needed a day off. "We could use any supplies you have. Food, water... we're short on everything." It was a demand, not a request. Eric repressed the urge to frown. She sounded rather rude, and he didn't like it at all.

Tann gestured to the woman. "This is Foster Addison," he said. "She oversees Colonial Affairs." He turned back to Eric and Cora and looked over their shoulders as if he was waiting for someone else. "Where's the Pathfinder?" He asked.

Eric gulped, but quickly straightened himself. "You're looking at him," he said.

"You're not Alec Ryder," Addison snorted. 

Her tone made Eric angry. He wanted to snap at her, but kept himself from doing so. Cora sensed his frustration and cleared her throat. Eric looked at her before turning back to Tann and Addison. "I'm Eric Ryder. Alec Ryder's son. My father is dead, and he made me his successor."

Addison suddenly looked pale, her shoulders slowly falling into a slump. "Alec... is dead?" She asked. Eric nodded, and the woman was silent for a short moment before she scowled. "Please understand, the entire Initiative is at risk." He pointed at a screen not far away. "None of the golden worlds have panned out. They're a bust, and there's been no words from the other arks."

"What happened to them?" Cora asked.

"Unknown," Tann responded. "Our supplies are nearly depleted. Rationing bought us some time, but even that's running out."

"We need to find more resources," Addison said, voice firm. "But that takes people, and we can't wake them up-"

"Until they have somewhere to live," Eric finished her sentence. "A golden world." He understood, but Addison was pissing him off. The way she spoke and the way she looked at him with disapproval made him feel angry, she clearly didn't approve of him, nor respect him. And in turn, she was disrespecting his father's final will and action.

"We need a Pathfinder," she said.

"I am the Pathfinder," Eric insisted, a little more aggressive than he'd meant to. "My father believed in me. If you trusted him with the job, you'll have to trust his judgment."

Addison's eyes narrowed into a sharp glare. "Your father won't be around to fix things if you fail."

"Don't talk about my father. I'll do whatever it takes to live up to his reputation. He trusted me, he believed in me," Eric growled. "Would you go against that?"

"Now, now." The krogan female joined them. "Addison, you're insulting the Pathfinder," she said and looked at Eric. "I'm Nakmor Kesh, superintendent of this station. Don't let these two scare you off."

By now, Addison was fuming. "It's nothing personal, but this isn't the time for on-the-job training."

"It's most certainly personal," Kesh said. "And our Pathfinder here said it himself. He's willing to try and do whatever it takes. It's all, if not more than we can ask for."

Addison was trembling, but she seemed to hold herself back. "You've heard my concerns," she said stiffly. "I'll leave you to it." She walked off without another word or glance.

Good riddance, Eric thought to himself as Tann spoke up again. "We're all feeling the pressure," he mumbled. "Let's have a private word in my office, Ryder. We'll discuss giving you a scout ship." He looked at Cora and forced a polite smile. "I'm happy to work out the details with your associate?"

He turned and walked towards his office. Cora gave Eric a meaning look before following, leaving Eric and Kesh to speak. "Welcome to the Nexus," Kesh sighed.

"You've been trapped here for fourteen months with her?" Eric muttered.

Kesh chuckled softly. "Believe me, I've thought about leaving more times than I can count," she said. "But you're here now, with a fresh perspective and a new hope for everyone at the station."

"Ma'am," a woman interrupted their conversation. "The Hyperion's core is now online."

Kesh looked at Ryder for a moment and then motioned for him to follow. "Let me show you something, Ryder," she said and walked over to the console by the wall. Eric followed silently. Kesh pressed a few buttons, and the wall before them parted, revealing large windows with a view of the station. It was now lit, and alive. Kesh pointed out the window. "An hour ago, that was all dark. But with the power from your ship, you're keeping the lights on." She turned to Eric and smiled. "You have my vote."

"And when the power runs out?" Eric asked. 

Kesh silenced down. "You best go and talk to Director Tann, make sure that doesn't happen," she said. "And please, don't be shy. Come and see me when you have a chance." She nodded at him before leaving him alone, before the wide windows.

Eric watched her leave before he slumped. "No, no, no," he mumbled to himself. "Dad, why?"

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned and relaxed when he saw that it was Jane. "Are you okay?" Jane asked. "You look as if you've been hit by a shuttle."

"I feel like it too," Eric muttered. "You would too if you had been here a few minutes ago."

Jane gave him a weak smile. "I'm going to talk to Kandros, he and Liam were watching security vids from the Uprising. It could be good to know what happened. Do you want to come with me?"

Eric looked disappointed for a moment. "I'm sorry, Jane. I can't come with you. I have to go and see Director Tann," he said. "Right now I've got no time for anything besides Pathfinding things."

"I know," Jane said. "You're the man of the hour, Eric. Everyone's going to want to have a moment with you. Whether you like it or not."

"I've been here for less than an hour, and I'm already sick of it," Eric admitted. "They don't take me seriously, I can tell. That Addison woman just insulted me and our father right before me. I could have punched her. It's like she doesn't even want me to be here, but still, she apparently has a hundred and one things for me to do."

Jane hushed at him. "Eric, you're fine. Take a deep breath and focus," she said. "You've got this. If anyone here can help and fix this, it's you."

"It could have been you."

"But it's not." Jane patted his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. "Go get 'em." She gently shoved her brother towards the ramp.

Eric smiled at her. "Thanks, sis," he said before he jogged off towards Director Tann's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't proofread, please let me know if you find any mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane accompanies Eric as he takes care of various Pathfinder tasks on the Nexus.

"This is where we landed, Habitat 7. It wasn't even close to liveable," Cora pointed at the screen displaying an image of Habitat 7. 

Tann sighed, giving a slight shake of his head. "That's been true of every world we've found," he mumbled.

Eric hesitated for a moment, allowing them to finish their conversation before he approached them. The office was small, and Tann stood behind a desk, observing the screen. He looked up when Eric stepped up to the desk. "Ryder," Tann said. "We were discussing your next expedition."

"I thought I didn't measure up as Pathfinder." The rage Jane had soothed came back. It wasn't as fierce, but Eric wasn't about to be disrespected again. He gave Director Tann a meaning look, but Tann simply shook his head.

"Director Addison keeps her own counsel, I keep mine," he said. 

"And when you disagree?" Eric asked.

Tann sighed again. "I oversee the entire Initiative, and I've decided to give you a chance to prove yourself." That was all Eric wanted, and needed, to hear. "To that end," Tann continued, "The Scourge dealt us a serious blow. Whatever it is, our scientists theorize it's not natural."

"An artificial energy cloud?" 

"It wasn't here when we left the Milky Way. Yet it rendered all the golden worlds unlivable. The there's the aliens you ran into 'the kett'," Tann snorted. He looked disgusted with the very thought of the strange aliens, and Eric could only agree. "They're obsessed with alien structures we've found scattered around the cluster. They'll do anything to prevent others from accessing them. It seems murder isn't exclusive to the Milky Way..."

He touched the console, and a projection of a new planet became visible. Eric studied it for a moment. 

"Is this planet livable?" Eric asked.

Tann shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. At least not as it is right now. We've already tried to settle this planet twice and failed. Eos, it's called," he had his arms behind his back as he spoke and watched the projected planet.

"If it's not livable, we need to do something about it. My father did something on Habitat 7 that altered the weather. If you're right about those structures, and they're everywhere... I might be able to do something with them." 

Tann's eyes lit up, interest and hope alike. "You sound like a Pathfinder, Ryder. Just what we need," he smiled to himself. A secretive smile that made Eric suspicious. "But before you can do anything, you need a ship."

"Right," Eric smiled. Finally, he was getting somewhere.

"They're prepping it now, in the docking bay. The coordinates for Eos will be in the computer," Tann said with a nod. "And when you have a moment, we should discuss the missing arks."

"Yes, I was-"

A sharp pain surged through Eric, and it felt for a moment as if he was going to pass out. He closed his eyes and gave a low groan. "Is something wrong?" Tann asked.

_"Ryder, please see me in SAM Node on the Hyperion. Your implant needs attention, and we need to discuss a confidential matter,"_  SAM's voice sounded in Eric's head. He didn't answer SAM but instead rose a hand to notify Tann that he was fine.

"I'm fine," he said.

Tann eyed him for a moment before he nodded. "I thought I should say it before you go... You have my condolences for your father."

Eric was taken aback at first. He hadn't expected Tann to express any form of sadness at his father's passing. "I appreciate it," Eric said truthfully. 

"I didn't know him very well," Tann confessed. "Although I understand that he played a key role in planning the Initiative. I'm sure he'd be concerned that we still have several arks missing."

"I agree," Eric mumbled. "Do you have any idea where they went?"

"Nothing is certain, but tens of thousands of colonists are unaccounted for. It paints the Initiative in an unflattering light."

That was very true. Eric knew that ultimately, Tann was there to ensure the survival of the Initiative, and to do that they needed the colonists to lay their trust in them. "We need everyone on our side if we are to settle Andromeda," Eric glanced at Cora, who was standing silently and listening. "What can you tell me about the Initiative's status?" he asked, turning back to Director Tann.

Tann, who looked pleased to have someone finally agree with him after months of disagreeing, rubbed his hands together. "Publicly, I would say that we're more than up for the challenge," he said. "Privately, however..." he too glanced at Cora. "I can tell you, Ryder, it's been a disaster. The Scourge killed hundreds, many of them our senior leadership. Even the founder of the Initiative, Jien Garson, is dead."

Eric let out a sigh. There was much for him to do, and for a moment he wondered if his father really had made the right decision. "Right," he said after a moment of thinking. "Please fill me in on everything you can tell me."

-

"Have there been much trouble once the exiles made their home on Kadara?" Liam asked. 

Kandros slowly shook his head, looking tired but grateful for the attention and promise of aid. "Supplies sometimes go missing, some sabotage. Nothing serious right now, but I'm afraid it'll only get worse."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Jane asked.

"In fact, there is. I've got a tip about some misplaced supply crates, if you could find them for me, I'd appreciate it. Last anyone saw them they were in the docking area." Kandros eyes wandered from Jane to Eric who came jogging, "Pathfinder," he greeted Eric. 

Eric flashed Kandros a smile, but his attention was on his sister. "Jane."

Jane smiled at her brother. "Hey," she said. "You're done solving all the problems in Andromeda yet?"

Eric took her hand in his and gently tugged at it. "No, but you have got to come and see my ship," he said. 

"You've got a ship?" Liam asked, looking almost as eager as Eric. But while Liam looked eager, Eric looked near ecstatic. His smile was so wide it looked as if his face would split in half. The childish excitement was contagious, and Liam and Jane eagerly followed him, grasping his hand as they hurried towards the tram. 

The trio stepped out of the shuttle and Eric held Jane's hand until they stood by the railing, looking down at the docking bay. Eric smile was so bright it could have lit up the entire Nexus, should the lights ever go out. He pointed, and Jane followed his slender finger to the ship being prepped on the dock's landing pad. 

The Tempest was the finest ship Jane had ever seen. With a long and sleek design, she could imagine it cutting through space, like a shiny arrow. She understood why Eric had been so excited, the Tempest was essentially his ship.

"Wow," Liam gasped in awe.

Jane turned to her brother with a smile. "It's a beautiful ship, Eric," she said. "Your ship."

"The Pathfinder's ship," Eric's smile fell for a moment. "She would have been father's."

"But he isn't here, so it falls to you," Jane grave Eric's arm a nudge. "When are you allowed to take her out for a test drive?"

"Actually," Eric said. "We're leaving for Eos later today. Apparently, they've been trying to settle the place twice already, but the ionization levels and radiation are too high, and those aliens we ran into, are called kett. They're all over Eos as well."

He turned to the ship, and let out a shaky breath. All Eric had to do was go to Eos, stabilize the planet's environment, get rid of the kett and make sure a settlement could prosper. His first task as Pathfinder. He shuddered, the pressure getting to him. 

It was calming to have Jane by his side. She was the more tranquil of the two, and she almost always knew what to say to make him feel better. "When are we leaving?" She asked.

"Are you sure you should be coming?" Liam asked. "You're still recovering from the last brush with the kett."

Jane shrugged. "Dr. Carlyle says I'll be healed enough to go back into the field in a couple of days. I don't have to go with you on the missions, but I do want to come with you on the Tempest," she said and turned to her brother. "If you thought you could leave without me, then you were very wrong."

Eric laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "I have a few things to do before we can take off, would you like to accompany me?" 

"If I would!" Jane hooked her arm with his. "Lead the way, Pathfinder."

"I'll head to the ship, looks like they need all the hands they can get," Liam said. "See you aboard!"

The two siblings returned to the Hyperion, Eric said there was something he had to take care of within SAM Node, and Jane followed, not asking why. Eric and Sam were connected now, perhaps there was some maintenance required?

When they stepped into SAM Node, the blue bundle of holographic nerves in the middle of the room flickered. Eric stood by a panel and tapped away on the console, he spoke to himself as he worked, asked questions and replied to things Jane couldn't hear. It reminded her of their father, who'd spent more time talking to himself than talking to anyone else.

She watched him with her head tilted to the side, and when Eric glanced her way she gave him an inquisitive glance. "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "I must look like a complete maniac," he blushed slightly.

"You've always looked like a maniac," Jane said. "Now you sound like one too."

"I was talking to SAM," Eric explained. "I can hear him in my head, we communicate via my implant. It's what he and dad used to do."

Jane let out an understanding 'aha'. "So that's what he was doing," she said. "Amazing."

"It's really cool," Eric agreed. "And a little bit concerning," he added in a more grave tone. He walked towards the door, gesturing for his sister to follow. "Dad's quarters should be open to us now," he said. "There's apparently something there we need to see."

There was a guard standing outside what had once been their father's quarters. He was armed and stood at attention when Eric and Jane approached him. "Pathfinder Ryder," he addressed Eric. "Your father's quarters are open and available to you."

"Thank you," Eric said. "Come on."

Jane followed her brother, glancing at the soldier who resumed his dead-eyed watch. 

Alec was more old-fashioned than both Eric and Jane had thought. They found both books, notepads and old earth tech. The books and notes were written on actual paper. Some of the books looked to have been a century old, even before their cryo-sleep. 

"Huh, who would have known dad was such a bookworm?" Jane asked as she browsed the bookshelf. "These are all old novels. Of explorers from centuries ago."

Eric smiled fondly at the mementos on the wall, old weaponry displayed behind glass, and a model of a ship. He made a mental note to grab it on the way out. Not because it was cool and he wanted it, but because his father had started a collection once, and while Eric was taking up his father's task as Pathfinder he might as well finish his father's collection as well.

"Look!" Jane suddenly laughed. "It's the old coffeemaker mom got for dad," she pointed at the counter behind the shelf. 

"God knows he needed that coffee," Eric chuckled. "Hey," he stopped his laughter and walked over to the desk and the many monitors by the far wall. "SAM, what's on here?"

_"These are your father's personal logs,"_  SAM explained, speaking via Eric's omnitool so that Jane would be able to hear.  _"Access is currently limited, but within time you should gain access to all files."_

Jane walked over and sat down in the chair, looking at the monitors. "Encrypted logs," she deducted after a few moments. 

Eric leaned over her shoulder to look. "Can you decrypt them?"

"I can decrypt anything," Jane said. "But it doesn't feel right, besides... SAM would probably stop me." Jane looked at the files again. "I think you can unlock them yourselves, I don't know how, though."

_"Your father linked the decryption of these files to your progress as Pathfinder."_

"So all I have to do is... do my job as Pathfinder, and the files should be decrypted?"

_"Correct."_

"See?" Jane said with a smile. "Easy, right?"

Eric shrugged. It was rather strange that their father would leave a trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow. "I'll look at it later," he said. "I... I'm suddenly not feeling very well," he admitted silently. "I need a seat." He sat down on the couch in the room and rubbed his hand over his face. 

Jane remained seated before the desk. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Eric nodded. "It's a lot, and it's coming on fast. I didn't expect this when I woke up, you know. I thought I'd be able to follow, not lead. I've never been in charge of anything, and now they're expecting me to take charge of a galaxy? They might be crazy."

"They're desperate," Jane said, rising from the chair and pacing back and forth in the room. Their father's quarters were much larger than most on the Hyperion, and the more Jane looked, the more she could spot little things her father had scattered around to make it homier. The coffeemaker, the books, models, mementos, even a family photo rested on the desk under all the monitors. She smiled fondly at that. "Look," she cooed, picking the photo and its frame from the desk. "Do you remember this?"

The photo was of the entire Ryder family before the camera, smiling happily. It was a happy time, even if Alec had been busy more than not. Jane and Eric had both been members of the Alliance then. Jane worked with infiltration and tech, while Eric worked with the peacekeepers and guarded mass relays. It was hard to believe that they'd completely left that life behind. 

Jane walked over to her brother and handed him the framed photo. Eric smiled. "I remember," he said. "Dad's birthday."

"Yeah, the year we got him a vacation on earth," Jane said.

"And he spent the entire week programming SAM's driver core," Eric nodded slowly. "He got a sunburn when he didn't get out of the sun."

Jane laughed softly. "Exactly," she giggled. 

Eric took a moment to study the picture. "Andromeda will be our new home," he said. "I'll need your help though, I can't do it alone."

"I'm with you," Jane promised. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College/University/Whatever you call what I'm doing is taking too much time. I'm not saying that I'm dying, but everyone who's gone to college/uni/whatevs knows what I'm talking about...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team depart from the Nexus and take their first steps on Eos.

"Bottom bunk's mine," Jane said, tossing her hoodie over Liam's head and into the lower of the two bunks before them. 

"I'm okay with that," Liam said, shoving his bag into the top bunk. 

Jane watched him climb up to test the mattress. "Eric's got his own room, though. I have to say that I'm jealous," she said. "But I suppose this is more fun. It'll be like one long sleepover."

Liam laughed. "Imagine the gossip he will miss out on."

"He'll manage."

Cora stepped through the door, followed by a female turian. The turian was Vetra Nyx, she'd been aboard the Nexus and were one of those assigned to the Pathfinder team, mostly because of her wide array of skills. Vetra was incredibly tall, slender and had blue markings on her face. "Jane Ryder, right?" She asked, voice smooth in a way only a turian's voice could be. "We didn't really have time for a proper hello before."

"Vetra Nyx," Jane greeted her and they shook hands. "Nice visor."

"Designed it myself," Vetra said. 

"Anyone got an idea when we're leaving?" Jane asked. 

Cora stepped forward with an answer. "As soon as the Pathfinder gives the go. He's overseeing everything as we speak. Greeting the rest of the crew and having a look around the ship." She glanced over Jane's shoulder and up at Liam. "Looks like you've picked your bunks already."

Liam nodded. "You have to be quick to get the best spots."

Cora shrugged. "Just don't come and complain to me when you fall out and hit your head," she said. 

The ship suddenly hummed awake, the metal under their feet vibrating as the engines warmed up. "Come on," Jane rushed past Cora and Vetra, grabbing Cora's arm on the way out of the room as they ran to the ladders.

Eric stood on the bridge, watching as Kallo and Suvi, the Tempest's pilot and science officer, maneuvered the ship out of the docks and out into space. The darkness of open space and the millions of stars soon surrounded them as they cruised around the Nexus. 

The Pathfinder let out a shaky breath. "Kallo, take us to Eos."

"Yes, Pathfinder," the pilot nodded. 

Kallo was a salarian, and part of the team that had designed and built the tempest. He was passionate about flying, but most of all about the Tempest. Suvi was human and a real sweetheart. Jane and Eric had only talked to her for a short moment before the Tempest took off, but she seemed kind and caring.

Other than Suvi and Kallo, there was Gil, the ship's chief engineer. He was a jester that had been hiding out in Engineering. However, he was bound to come out eventually, and Jane had already taken a liking to him and the jokes he'd pulled when they were introduced.

They were an odd mix of people that shared a goal; to find a home in a new galaxy.

"Well," Eric turned to his sister. "We're off."

"I'm beyond excited," Jane said. "I can't wait to see what Eos might be like."

"You're staying aboard the Tempest until you've recovered fully. Dr. T'Perro will keep an eye on you," Eric said and his sister slumped in defeat. Lexi had been assigned as the Pathfinder team's physician and had made herself right at home in the Tempest's medbay. 

"Fine," Jane muttered. "But you better bring me along once I've healed."

"Once I know you've got a proper shield on you, yes. Bet you can tinker with something in the tech lab while you're here," Eric said. "Have you checked out the ship?"

Jane nodded. "Liam and I took a tour. I've found my bunk and all there's left to do is to break it in with a long nap." She stretched and Eric flashed her a brotherly smile. 

"Keeping busy."

"Always."

-

Eos was just as horrible and miserable as they'd heard. The radiation levels were off the charts and the only areas that were even remotely safe to be in were the areas around the two abandoned settlements, Promise, and Resilience, that were both protected by radiation shields. Eric gulped as Kallo expertly landed the Tempest in a clearing near the first outpost.

"All clear, Pathfinder," Suvi said after scanning the area around the ship.

"Right," Eric turned around. Behind him stood his crew, awaiting orders. "Cora and Liam, gear up and be ready in fifteen minutes. The rest of you hang tight and be easy for anything."

Cora and Liam went to suit up and Vetra retreated to the back of the Tempest. Jane gave her brother an encouraging smile. "You need me for anything, you give the word." She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Eric chuckled, a chunk of worry fading away. "I'm not going to bring you along," he said.

"It was worth a shot," Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I'll hide out in the tech lab if you need me. I'll be on the usual frequency if you need anything. Advice, intel or just a verbal kick in the butt, I've got your back."

"Thanks, Jane. I'll keep that in mind."

"Yeah, now go and get ready." Jane turned to head out of the bridge. "Oh, and Eric," she turned and looked at her brother over her shoulder. "Try and keep your helmet on this time." There was a hint of a joke in her voice but her eyes pleaded with him to stay safe. She left the bridge and Eric joined Cora and Liam to gear up.

Fifteen minutes later the team of three took their first steps on Eos. The sand was silky and slightly slippery under their boots and the noise from the generators powering the radiation shields muted the noise of the storm outside the sheltered areas. Eric looked at Cora, who gestured for him to lead the way.

Eric jogged ahead, making his way towards the buildings by the mechanic arch. "You seeing anything, Tempest?" He asked.

Suvi responded via the comms, "Negative, but if you use your scanner we'll be able to help out more." There was a slight pause while Eric brought his scanner up. "I don't recognize the interface. This isn't an initiative scanner."

"It is!" Jane's voice insisted. "Or well... it was."

"Jane customized it for me. Cleaned up the UI, optimized the search method and minimized the energy drain."

"Impressive. Jane, would you let me have a look a the search function?" Gil asked.

"I'll send the code right away."

"Sweet!"

"I'd love to have a look at it too!" Suvi piped up.

"Hey, this channel's for communication between the ground team and the tempest, not a crew group chat."

"Sorry!" Gil and Jane apologized in unison before they tapped out of the comm.

Eric rolled his eyes and returned his focus to the task at hand, investigating the empty outpost. From what Eric could tell the buildings, along with whatever resources and research within them, had been hastily abandoned. Papers were strewn across the floor and various devices laid broken or forgotten. He scanned the scene but it gave nothing of value.

He headed back outside while Cora had a closer look at the left behind research. Liam patroled around the building, making sure the area was as clear as they'd been told. Eric brought his scanner back up and inspected a large shipment container.

_"Pathfinder, this container appears to contain a vehicle,"_ SAM's voice echoed in his head.  _"With_ _the_ _right combination, the container can be opened."_

"Got it. Thanks, SAM," Eric replied. "Jane, could you retrieve the code for this?"

He had barely had the time to step back when the container door fell open, revealing a Nomad vehicle within. "Done and done, brother."

The Nomad's autopilot drove the car out of its safe space as Eric stepped aside. With an impressed hum, Eric called his squad to come and have a look. Eric scanned the Nomad. "It's got some impressive shields. It could probably withstand the planet's radiation," he deducted. "As long as we stay inside it we should be able to traverse Eos without trouble."

Liam looked childishly excited. "Then what are we waiting for?" He asked.

"Cora, take the wheel," Eric instructed. "Follow those wheel tracks and let's see where we end up."

-

Jane sat at the desk in the tech lab, reading up on the reports Kandros had sent to the Tempest. It contained everything from various readings from probes around the planet, to irregular patterns of kett movement in the cluster.

"There's a structure ahead. Very similar to the one on Habitat 7," she heard her brother say.

She immediately tapped back into the comms. "Could you try and get a good look at it?" She asked. "If it is anything like the tower on Habitat 7 then it might help clear the radiation-"

"Like it cleared the storms!" Liam filled in. "Smart!"

"I might be able to interface with it, there's some kind of pattern and odd glyphs," Eric explained. "Give me a moment to just..."

The entire tech lab lit up for a moment and several alarms were triggered. Jane jumped out of her seat and ran to the console behind her. "What did you do?!" She asked, frantically pressing buttons and recalibrating scanners. "My instruments are lighting up like fireworks!" She didn't get an immediate answer. "Eric?"

"He's okay," Cora said. "We ran into an asari. She appears friendly, and freakishly interested in these structures."

"Really?"

"She called them remnant."

"Can you get me a scan?"

"One second," Eric mumbled and a moment later the data collected by his scanner appeared on one of the screens in the tech lab.

Jane seated herself before it and tried to make sense of it. It was very complicated, she'd never seen anything like it before and she couldn't even figure out if it was turned the right way or not. She tilted her head to the side but the pattern remained a mystery. The only thing she could make out was a small symbol that appeared in several different places. "This is very interesting," she cooed.

"Think you can crack it?"

"I'll definitely try." Jane stared at the code. "If you find anything 'remnant' you scan it and send it to me. I've never seen anything like it!"

She could hear her brother chuckle. "Glad you're up for the challenge. There are two more structures in the distance. We're heading there to see what we can find."

Distracted by the unfamiliar piece of code before her, Jane didn't listen to her brother's goodbye. She immediately got to work, starting with the reoccurring symbol. She counted it to appear twelve times in the short piece of code while the other symbols only appeared once or twice. Was the odd symbol important? Or a common and universal vowel? Perhaps it was a break command?

"Ah!" Jane lit up into a smile. "End brackets!" She rolled the chair back and grabbed a datapad, copying the code and restructuring it so that every time the symbol appeared she started a new line. "Much better!" She admired the code, seeing a structure, unfamiliar, but definitely there.

The doors to the tech lab opened and Eric stepped through. "Pathfinder to Jane," he sighed. "Are you there?"

"Eric?" Jane turned around and stared wide-eyed at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were headed to the next structure."

Eric shook his head. "That was almost two hours ago. It's surrounded by kett and it's getting dark. We're laying low until we've got the sun on our side," he explained. "How are you doing?"

Jane rolled out of the way of the monitors. "I think I've found the beginning of a structure. I believe this is a symbol that ends a method." She pointed at the screen and Eric took a closer look.

"Looks like gibberish to me," he said with a shrug.

"It is still very gibberishy to me as well, but I'll solve this. Don't worry," Jane sounded confident and happy to have something to work with. She glanced down at her omnitool and noticed that hours really had passed since Eric had sent her the code. "What's for dinner?"

"It heard Liam wanted to cook something up. Let's go and see, shall we?"

The siblings made their way to the galley and on the way there they ran into an unfamiliar asari. "Hello," Jane said.

"Hi!" The asari smiled. She was dressed in purple and wore dark makeup that was painted like a line across her face and eyes. "Haven't met you yet, I'm Peebee." She extended a hand for Jane to shake.

"Jane Ryder," Jane said, taking the hand that was offered and gave it a shake. "You must be the asari with remnant interest. Was that what you called them?"

"Yup," Peebee said, popping the word. "They're fascinating, aren't they?"

"Absolutely! I've looked at some code Eric extracted from the console he interfaced with and I think I've started to see a coding pattern."

"Awesome! You'll have to let me have a look!"

"And you've got to tell me everything you know about the remnant!"

Eric cleared his throat, interrupting the eager conversation between the two women. "It's nice to see that you get along but how about we get some food in you?" He put his hand on Jane's shoulder.

Jane rolled her eyes but nodded. "I'm fine, Eric. But I'll eat if that makes you feel better."

"Are you okay?" Peebee asked, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, I don't want to pry and ignore me if that was too personal."

"No, it's okay. I got mowed down by kett on Habitat 7. I'm recovering, but my brother seems to think I'm made out of glass." She gave Eric a teasing smile.

"Right, you're siblings." Peebee looked at the twins. "About that code..." She and Jane dove straight into a busy chatter as they made their way to the galley to eat whatever the blue stew Liam had cooked was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeey! I'm like... only three days later than I promised myself to update. I'm a mess and I'm super busy, but I've managed to get some writing done between life and school :) Enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric and the team head out to have a look at the kett-infested structure. Jane is grounded on the Tempest.

Eric woke with a start. His eyes flew open and he sat up in bed, gasping for his breath. A nightmare had woken him.

A blue light flickered on his desk and a blue orb floated above a round stand.  _"Pathfinder."_  The AI's voice sounded in the room. It was soothing and helped Eric calm down.

He smothered his hand over his face and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm okay, Sam. It was just a nightmare. No worries."

_"Would_ _you like_ _me to wake Dr. T'Perry?"_

"No need," Eric shook his head. "Let her sleep. If she's asleep it means everyone else should be too." He looked around in the room, it was dark but the large windows let some of the light coming from the starry night. "How's everyone?"

"Asleep, Pathfinder. However, Cora Harper appears to be awake and in the Bio Lab."

"At this time?" Eric furrowed his brows and swung his legs off the side of the bed. He lazily pulled his pants and a t-shirt on before he left the room, silently making his way up the ladder and over to the Bio Lab. Cora was there, just as SAM had said, staring mindlessly at the screen before her. It displayed a slideshow of the pictures from the Initiative brochure. Eric tapped his knuckles against the side of the doorway and Cora looked at him.

"Ryder," she said. "Is everything all right?"

Eric shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," he mumbled. "You?"

Cora gave a slight shake of her head. "I couldn't sleep either," she sighed. She leaned against the desk, head in her hands and shoulders slumped. "What are we doing?" She asked. "What's our plan?"

Eric crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"This? Everything? Do we have a plan, Ryder? Are we finding a path? Or are we just fumbling in the dark?" Cora looked rather hopeless.

"Both," Eric replied after a short moment of silence. We're in the dark but it's our job to find a way through it."

Cora snorted. "Easier said than done. I didn't realize that you'd inherited your father's silver tongue. You sound like you're reading straight off the Pathfinder pamphlet."

Eric smiled at her, even though she weren't looking at him. "If there is a pamphlet, I would love to read it," he said and Cora gave a short and tired laugh. "If didn't mean for it to sound so cliché but that is our job. Going where no one's gone and doing what no one's done."

There was another pause. Slowly, Cora straightened in her seat and turned her head towards Eric. "You're right of course. I just... I lost my footing for a moment. With Alec gone..." she stopped herself and frowned. "I didn't mean..."

Eric shook his head. "No. Please," he said. "Speak your mind."

His second-in-command hesitated. "Your father was my mentor and a good friend. I've lost people before but never like this," Cora admitted. "It's... difficult."

"I know."

"And I can't even imagine what it must be like for you. You lost your father and we're forced to take his place, it almost killed you."

"Cora."

"It's shouldn't be whining like this. It's unprofessional. I'm supposed to support you. As your second-in-command, I should be-"

"Cora," Eric gently interrupted. "It's to okay." They looked at one another in understanding. "Let's support one another. You're my partner just so much as I'm yours."

Cora gave a weak smile. "You're right again. Damn you for being so sensible."

"You're usually the sensible one."

"Do you really think so?"

Eric shrugged. "I do. Things haven't gone as we thought they would, and to put some color on it, I'd say it went straight to shit." His expression for the situation made Cora smile. "Anyone would lose their footing when something like that happens."

"You didn't exactly lose yours," Cora pointed out.

With a sigh, Eric leaned against the nearest wall. "Trust me, I got my feet swept away from under me, but there are too many people counting on me to fall right now." He shook his head. "I can't sleep properly. Let me tell you that. I'm too stressed out, there are too many things to do."

"Ryder," Cora mumbled, a frown spreading across her face.

"No, don't say anything," Eric said. "I... I'm so close to a breakdown. But... I just needed to say that. To let you know that I'm not okay. You're my partner, I need to trust you."

Cora straightened in her seat. "You can count on me, Ryder."

Eric smiled. He felt tired, tired but calm for the first time in a couple of days. He jutted his thumb over his shoulder, pointing it at the door behind him. "I'm heading back to bed, you should too. I need you sharp in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Cora nodded.

Eric gave her a nod before he retired to his quarters, got back into bed and fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

-

"SAM, do you think you'd be able to translate it? I'd be happy to help sort it all out for you."

_"I believe_ _I_ _could, your help is much appreciated, Jane_ _."_

Jane smiled, eyes darting over her datapad. "I'll dig up as much as I can," she said with a nod.

"How's that shield getting along?" Eric asked as he seated himself next to his sister.

"It should be able to block most things. As long as I don't swallow a grenade I should be fine," Jane shrugged. "But I don't have time for tinkering with shields, I've got more important things to do."

Eric sighed and Liam, who say on the other side I the table gave a shrug and an amused smile. "She's willing to stay aboard the Tempest," he pointed out.

"Hey," Jane glared at him.

"Talk to Lexi, and see where you're at in the healing process," Eric said. "When Lexi gives the go I'd be happy to take you to look at the remnant structures."

Jane beamed at her brother. "I'll hold you to that."

The finished their breakfast. It was early and the sun had not Risen yet. Nights were long on Eos but days even longer. They would have plenty time to explore and investigate the remnant towers. Peebee had invited herself to the ground team, much to Cora's displeasure.

Eric grounded his sister when it had become clear that she hadn't been taking it as easy as she should have done. Although she wasn't severely hurt, Lexi wanted her to properly rest for another day, come in for a final check and a shot before she could be sent out on a real mission. Jane was not pleased about that.

She laid in her bunk with her datapad, glaring at her brother when he came to say goodbye. "I'm fine," she said the moment he opened his mouth to speak. "This is completely unnecessary and you know it. I could at least be allowed in the tech lab."

"Lexi said 'bed' loud and clear, Jane," Eric said with a shrug. "Rest now, and I'll take you out for a walk tomorrow."

"Whatever," Jane sighed. "I'll be a good girl and stay put."

Eric laughed and ruffled her hair. "I'll see you later." He waved at her before he headed back towards the bridge to fetch his helmet and arm himself. Cora had been ready for nearly five minutes and Liam had just finished putting his suit on.

"Ready for action," he said with a smile. "You know Peebee's slept in the escape pod?"

Eric nodded. "She seems to have made herself at home there. I'll have to chat her up about that."

Liam chuckled. "She's odd, but she knows about those remnant bots. I say we keep her."

"She's a person, not a space dog."

"But she's cute and excited like one. The way she yaps about the remnant..." Liam shook his head. "All that's missing is a wagging tail."

"Right," Eric chuckled and gave Liam's shoulder a pat. "Let's go."

They headed to the back if the Tempest and Kallo opened the latch for them. "All clear."

Cora got into the driver's seat of the Nomad. "Where to, Pathfinder?" She asked as the Nomad awoke, the engine humming as it came to life. Eric got into the seat next to her and Liam climbed into the back.

"Set course for the monolith we saw yesterday," he said. "I say we kick the kett out of their own place."

"Right on," Liam grinned.

They piled into the Nomad and took off in a cloud of dust and sand. The road, if you could call it a road, slithered along the mountains and around the valley towards the structure perched on a cliff near the second structure. Cora parked the Nomad but before she'd pressed the button to open the doors, Eric stopped her.

"Guys, before we head out and get shot at," he said. "Keep close, watch each other's back and don't fall off the platform. It's a long way down."

Liam chuckled, but he looked determined and ready for a fight. "Got it, Pathfinder. Don't die."

"Exactly."

Eric looked at Cora and gave a nod. She opened the doors and they jumped out, rushing to the nearest cover and drawing their weapons. The kett poured out of the buildings suspended over the cliffside, shooting, shouting and pointing at the nomad and the three humans.

"Shit! Where did all those kett come from? Are they multiplying in there?" Liam yelled over the comm as he stood and picked off two kett before ducking back into cover. "Can we take all of them?"

"We're about to find out!" Eric shouted back. "SAM, what have you got?"

_"There's a kett shuttle incoming, Pathfinder. I count as much as twenty-six heat signatures around the base already,"_  SAM's voice echoed over the comms.  _"There are generators scattered around the facility sustaining shields."_

"I see them," Eric said. "Cora, you go left, Liam you go right, I'll take on the generators and wipe out what I can on the way."

Cora was already darting around the corner of her cover and fired off a biotic surge towards a cluster of kett. They scattered and a few of them went flying off the edge and plummeted to their death on the cliffs below.

Eric provided covering fire and Liam took off to the right. Eric followed and headed towards the first generator. He took cover behind it as he deactivated it. "Pathfinder! I'm by the second generator, deactivating it now!" Cora's voice sounded over the comms.

"Good work!"

It was easy enough to clean the place of kett. SAM counted down the heat signatures unusually fast, and Eric knew for a fact that they were not picking off that many kett that fast. "Keep an eye out. There's something around here that's not right."

"I've got the last generator," Liam said. "Turning it off..."

The shields around the kett building flickered and faded. "Regroup on me and let's head inside." Eric put his rifle away and replaced it with his sidearm. Cora was by his side first, her shoulder brushing against his.

"You hear that?" She asked.

"Something's in the building," Eric nodded as Liam joined them. "Stay close, be ready for anything."

They searched the building and found a large console. "Jane?" Eric mumbled into the radio. "Got some kett tech for you." He heard his sister whoop and smiled to himself as he scanned the devices and the console.

Suddenly, a wild roar sounded and Eric turned around. There was a wide window behind them and through it one of the strange cloaking animals came crashing, dead before it even hit the ground. It was closely followed by a krogan in heavy armor and a manic look in his eyes.

The krogan jumped down on the floor and stepped over the dead animal towards Eric. "Who are you?" he growled.

Eric blinked, staring up at the tall and very angry-looking krogan. "Eric Ryder," he said. "The human Pathfinder."

The krogan eyed him skeptically. "Pathfinder, huh?" He turned around and walked back to the dead animal. "I'm Drack. Clan Nakmor," he introduced himself. "You'll forgive me if I didn't just trust a stranger from the Nexus. They haven't exactly treated us krogan well."

"So we've heard," Eric nodded.

"What are you doing out here?"

Eric stepped forward. "We're taking a closer look at these monoliths, and clearing the kett as we go," he said. "Looks like you did most work here, though."

Drack snorted. "Yeah? Well, the kett have it coming," he muttered and rounded the corpse of the animal, kneeling beside it and pulling out a long knife. "The Nexus knows shit about the kett. They think they're safe, but they're just waiting to die out there in space." He seemed to be carving a trophy from his kill. "I've been quads deep in a couple of planets for a while now. Taking out kett bases. Fighting ground troops." He grunted when one of the animal's teeth came loose with a spurt of blood. "I know what they can do."

"The things we've seen... not pretty," Eric agreed. "You said you've been going around taking out kett. If you run out of kett to fight, we could give you a lift to the next place."

Drack looked interested for a moment before he shook his head. "I'm a little too old to be carrying you humans through fights," he said. "Besides, the day I help the Nexus again's the day the clouds part and the kett keel over. No offense."

"None taken," Eric shrugged.

"Good, 'cause I'm getting bored and the kett are getting stronger. Seems particularly interested in this alien tech."

"That's why we're here. To get to it before they do."

Drack walked around them, looking out over the cliffside. "Good luck with that. I'm gonna go find more to shoot. Try and keep your head out there." He wandered off, leaving Eric and his team behind. 

Liam walked up to Eric, standing next to him as they both watched the krogan walk away. "He seemed friendly enough," Liam said. 

Eric nodded and turned to Cora. "The place seems empty. Let's head on over to that monolith before another shuttle comes and drop kett on our heads."

"Agreed," Cora said. "After you, Ryder."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric needs someone to talk to and Jane is finally allowed outside!

"Can you warn me the next time you light up a monolith?" Jane sighed. "Almost every alarm in the tech lab lights up when you touch that thing."

"There's not much I can do about that, is it?"

Jane smiled to herself as she tinkered with her shield capacitor. It was powerful enough to take a bullet or two before it had to be recharged. Pleased with her work, she pushed her chair away from the desk and stood up. 

The door to the lab opened, and Lexi stood in the doorway, a disappointed look on her face. "Uh oh..." 

"I thought we agreed that you were going to stay in bed, Jane," Lexi sighed. "You need as much rest as you can get before you can be sent back out on the field."

"I'm resting, look!" Jane said. "I've been sitting down, doing easy work and I swear I've had like four glasses of water since I got out of bed. Don't banish me to my bunk, please." He slapped her hands together as if in prayer. 

Lexi rolled her eyes and gestured for Jane to follow. With a defeated sigh, Jane got up and followed the doctor into the Tempest medbay. "Sit," Lexi pointed at the nearest bed. Once Jane was seated, Lexy scanned her and eyed her vitals. Jane said nothing and wore a childish pout when Lexi sighed. "You have been healing up nicely," Lexi admitted. "But I specifically told you to rest today."

Jane nodded. "I'm not one to sit on my hands, Lexi," she said. "You know that."

"Yes," Lexi gave a gentle smile. "I suppose I have been coddling you," she admitted. "It's what Alec would have done."

"I'm not a child, Lexi, and you know that Eric needs me out on the field."

"I know," Lexi said. "Just... be more careful out there."

Jane smiled. "I promise, I'll be careful, and I'll take it easy today and work on my shield," she said. "I think I'll ask Gil to help me crank it up further."

Lexi agreed that it would be a good idea. "Before you go, though. I'd like to ask you a few questions... if you wouldn't mind." Lexi stepped over to her desk. "It's about Eric."

Jane frowned. "What about him? Is there something wrong? Is he alright?" She got up and walked over to Lexi, folding her hands before her. "Has something happened to him?"

Lexi gave Jane a reassuring smile and gently shook her head. "Physically, Eric is just fine. He's my best patient, actually," she said. "However... I'm worried about his... mental being. SAM has notified me that Eric has not been sleeping properly. He's pacing around the Tempest at night."

"Oh, Eric..."

"I have asked Eric to come see me, without arousing his suspicion, of course. If Eric is anything like your father, he won't speak to me and reveal what's really bothering him." Lexi's lips pressed together into a tight line as she thought. "I believe with all that's happened, Eric has not taken the time to process Alec's death, and the pressure he's under is not making anything better."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Jane asked. "I could speak to him and help him out."

Lexi smiled. "I would appreciate it, and I'm sure Eric would too."

Jane nodded. "I'll talk to him."

"Looks like there's a third monolith nearby, but we're losing sun and fast." Eric's voice echoed in Jane's radio. "We're heading back to the Tempest. We'll look at the third monolith tomorrow."

Jane reached up and activated her radio. "Count me in on that, Eric," she said, grinning at Lexi who rolled her eyes.

"Nice!" Liam was heard. "Both Ryders on a mission? Can't be anything but epic."

"Double the trouble, you mean?" Cora asked.

"Heading back now," Eric said. "Get the coffeemaker going, we'll be back soon."

-

Jane rapped her knuckles against the wall, and Eric looked up from whatever he was doing. It looked like he was reading messages on the small display on his desk. He quickly minimized the display and turned his seat around. "Hey," he said. "You okay?"

"I'm okay," Jane said with a smile. "I just came to see what you were up to."

Eric smiled. "Reading messages. I don't know who's done it, but it seems some civilians got hold of my message ID. My inbox's filled with spam and messages."

Jane laughed. "Anything juicy?" She walked over, and Eric pulled her into his lap, opening the message terminal back up. 

Eric cleared his throat to read. "Dear, Pathfinder," he began reading. "I hope that you are well. I spotted you at the Nexus the other day. You walked past me in Operations, and I must admit that I was at once smitten by you."

Jane cringed as her brother continued.

"I took it upon myself to contact you, I've always appreciated art, and you are a living piece of it," Eric grinned. "Blah, blah, blah, cannot tear my mind free from the image of you..."

"Yikes," Jane frowned. "I do not envy you."

Eric shrugged. "It's pretty horrible, but I guess I can get a laugh or two out of it..."

Jane leaned her head against her brother's shoulder. "Eric..." she mumbled. "Can I... talk to you?" she asked. "It's about... well, it's about everything, really."

"Way to narrow things down," Eric sighed. "Where do we start? How's that shield coming along? What's for dinner? The weather today was a little less hazardous than usual, wasn't it?"

"Eric... I know you haven't been sleeping," Jane interrupted him. 

Eric closed his mouth and looked away. He leaned his cheek against Jane's shoulder and let out a sigh. "Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter," Jane said. "Did you go to see father, after Habitat 7?"

Slowly, Eric shook his head. "What was there to see? Father was long dead when I woke up..."

"You should have at least gone to see him. You need to take your time to mourn him, Eric... It's impossible to move on if you're just going to bottle it up," Jane ran her hand over Eric's back as she spoke. "You and dad were close, and he died to save you. He loved you, Eric and you need to make sure that you're at peace with what he did and that he's gone."

Eric said nothing but Jane could tell that he was thinking. His eyes were glossy and his lips pressed into a thin line. "Really?" He suddenly said, his voice rough as he lowered his head. "You came in here just to make me cry?" He wrapped his arm around her waist and hugged her. "Sometimes, you're the absolute worst."

Jane twisted in his lap and wrapped her arms around him. "It would have come sooner or later, Eric. Better here with me, than anywhere else."

"Damn," Eric sobbed, tears welling up in his eyes. "I hate it when you defeat me with your stupid logic." He pressed his face to her shoulder. 

Eric cried for a while, and Jane sat in his lap and ran her hands up and down his back, comforting him the best she could. "He shouldn't have had to die," Eric got out between sniffles. "My stupid helmet... Stupid kett, stupid remnant."

"I wish I could have been there, Eric. I'm sorry."

"Don't take the blame," Eric seemed to instantly calm down and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. "It wasn't your fault. You fixed the comms, made sure we could get out of there..."

Jane smiled at him. "You and dad were the real heroes."

Eric thought for a few moments. "You know... I'm kind of happy he made me Pathfinder. Not because I wanted to position, but because I somehow feel... closer to him. This is what dad did before he passed away, and he believed that I could take up the torch and carry it on. He believed in me, and I'm... touched, really."

"We all believe you can do it," Jane said. "You have a drive, Eric. If anyone here can get things done, it's you."

Smiling, Eric gave his sister a squeeze. "Thanks, Jane. But please, don't tell anyone I cried like a little girl just now."

"Darn, Gil would have loved that," Jane joked. "I guess I'll have to settle for embarrassing childhood stories."

"Careful, I might be able to dig up some pictures of you when you went through your Splittercore phase. Pretty sure I still have a few pics of you in all black, with your bedroom walls plastered with turian noisemakers."

"Hey! Palaven Fuxz were awesome!"

Eric laughed.

"But in all seriousness, Eric..." Jane said. "If you need to talk, you've got me, and you've got the crew. Don't go and bottle things up, share it and it'll feel better. I promise."

"Yeah, you're right again," Eric sighed. "I promise I won't keep things like this to myself."

They hugged and then spend a while longer reading creepy messages from fanatic fans of Eric's. Jane laughed particularly loud at a man who had described Eric's eyes as oceanic pools and how his nose sloped like the mountains on Earth.

"My eyes aren't even blue," Eric muttered. "And you make sure to tell me if my lips ever look 'bee-stung'."

"Will do!" Jane giggled helplessly, covering her mouth with her hand to try and stifle her laughter. "But hey, when you get back to the Nexus you'll have people lining up to buy you drinks! You're not going to be able to walk straight for days!"

"I suppose there's a bright side to this madness after all," Eric said with a smile. 

They both chuckled and then silenced down, sitting in a comfortable silence. Jane cleared her throat and got up, turning to her brother and putting her hands on her hips. "I know it's your turn to cook tonight, want any help with that?"

Eric nodded. "Sure," he said. "And please, when Liam cooks the next time, help him too. I get that he's into experimenting but, I don't think I can stand blue food any longer."

"I'll make sure it's another color," Jane nodded. "Let's head in there and stir up some trouble."

-

Liam smiled as Jane rushed to put her gear on. He patted her on the shoulder when she seated herself on the floor to yank her boots on. "Ready for action?" he asked, and Jane nodded eagerly.

"You have no idea how ready I am," Jane said. Her gear was similar to Cora's, but Eric had demanded that she wore a reinforced jacket over her suit and Jane complied, mostly to keep Eric from worrying himself silly about her. "Finally! I'm going to get out there!"

"Those kett better watch out," Liam said.

Cora peeked into the room, noting that Liam and Jane were almost ready to head out. "The Pathfinder's ready and waiting," she said. "Jane, you sure you're ready to head out?"

"Don't try and talk me out of it, Cora. I've got a bone to pick with the kett, and I can't wait to see the monolith up close!"

With a chuckle, Cora left Jane and Liam to finish gearing up and headed back to Eric. "They'll be here any minute now," she said, and Eric nodded. "You okay?"

Eric turned and looked at Cora, then smiled. "I'm fine. There's a lot on my mind, but I'm handling it... well, I'm trying, at least." He let out a silent chuckle. "I've got a good feeling about today, and I'm glad Jane's going with us."

"Sounds like you've missed having her around," Cora pointed out.

"I have," Eric wasn't ashamed of admitting that he preferred having his sister around. That way he could protect her, and she would no doubt watch his back. Eric smiled when a Jane and Liam joined them. Jane had already put her helmet on and was doing last minute checks on her omnitool. "Everyone ready?"

"Oh, yeah!" Liam and Jane high fived.

"Jane, I'm putting you in the driver's seat."

"Sweet!"

Jane hopped into the Nomad, getting all giddy over the cool tech as the rest of the squad occupied the rest of the seats. Cora took to the front, and Liam and Eric got into the backseat.

Kallo opened the chute, and Jane was able to drive the Nomad out onto the ground. "Where to, Captain?" She asked.

"Follow the road along the cliff. We're headed for the last monolith," Eric instructed.

Jane did as he said and pressed the pedal to the floor, the Nomad shooting forward with a trail of dust and sand sputtering behind them. "Hey, Ryder," Liam said. "How come you never drive?"

"Eric couldn't drive to save his life," Jane laughed as she drifted around a cliff corner. "Might as well put a tranquilized hanar before the wheel."

"Really?" Cora asked, arching an eyebrow at the Pathfinder and giving him an amused smile.

Eric blushed. "I drive just fine," he said. "You two are just better at it than I am."

Cora held her hands up and shook her head. "No shame in being a bad driver, Eric. You make up for it with other things."

"Like what?"

"Yeah," Cora smiled at him and turned back to face the road.

Her cryptic answer made Eric's eyes narrow into slits. Cora and Jane chatted in the front seat as they raced through the sandy storm. Liam shook his head, looking at Eric.

"Don't worry, mate. You're doing a good job."

Cora leaned forward in her seat, turning to look over her shoulder at the men in the back of the Nomad. "We're approaching the third monolith, looks peaceful enough, but be ready," she said. "Landing in three minutes."

Jane was ecstatic to get to see the remnant structure up close. Eric let her explore the structure but kept a close eye on her as she went around, scanning the consoles and investigating energy spikes. 

Liam shook his head when Jane slapped him on the shoulder for the third time. "Look at the readings! These outputs are almost twice as active as any tech we have!" She showed him the display of her omnitool. "Eric, look!"

"You think that's cool? Wait until we get the monolith going," Eric mused as he searched for glyphs around the structure.

_"I sense two additional glyphs in the area, Pathfinder."_

"SAM! You have to help me sift through this data once we're back at the Tempest!" Jane cheered.

_"It would be my pleasure, Jane Ryder."_

Eric located the remaining glyphs and waved his sister closer and headed towards the console. "You'll want to see this, Jane." He looked down at the console and stretched his hand out to interface with it. Jane was right beside him, staring in awe.

The console's controls shifted, and the monolith hummed as it sprung to life. A ray shot from its tip connecting the light from the other monoliths, all lights pointing to the lake in the valley. Eric turned to his sister and Cora. "Looks like we're going there next," Cora said.

Eric nodded and turned to his twin with a grin. "What do you think?"

"That you're amazing," Jane said. "Eric, you are the best brother in the entire universe, and I love you. Let me at the next structure!"

Liam laughed and Cora rolled her eyes. Eric, on the other hand, smiled and wrapped an arm around Jane. "Let's go, no time to waste, right?"

Jane rushed back to the nomad, just about to get back in when a shot rang out, and she ducked in behind one of the large tires. "Kett!" she shouted, and her brother and the others quickly took cover. "Those bastards!"

"You ready to kick their asses?" Liam asked.

With a firm nod, Jane drew her rifle. "Ready for payback!"

Eric and Cora darted forward, their biotics lighting up and pushing them forward. Jane peeked out from behind the cover, looking through the sight of her rifle and fired back at the kett. She hit one right between the eyes, and its head exploded into a gory mess. 

"Take that," Jane muttered under her breath. "That's for making me miss out on all the cool structures."

She could hear Liam laugh behind her. Eric dashed forward, punching a kett square in the face before jumping back and finishing it off with his pistol. "Nice work!" He said as the last kett keeled over. "If only all encounters could go so smooth."

"I agree," Cora said, stepping over a kett corpse on her way towards him. "Nice punch, by the way. Your biotics are flourishing."

"Yeah? Well, I've used them a lot lately. Nice to hear that I'm improving."

"Hey! Come on! I've got a remnant structure to dig into! Come on!" Jane shouted impatiently from the Nomad. She was already climbing into the driver's seat, and it looked as if Liam had called dibs on the front seat.

Cora snorted and started to jog back to the vehicle. "Let's go, Ryder."

Eric followed. "Right behind you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team venture into the Vault on Eos.

"It's... another structure," Jane said as they neared the point where the monoliths lead them. "It's... on the other side of the water, though. How are we going to-"

Eric stepped close to the edge, and as he did, a platform rose from the water, followed by more. "Woah," Eric looked at the bridge that seemed to form before him. He took a step onto the platforms. "They'll hold," he said, jumping slightly to test the bridge that had appeared from nowhere.

"That's ominously cool," Liam said and followed Eric across the bridge.

"Look," Cora pointed at a shuttle that approached. "It's an Initiative shuttle."

The shuttle landed on the island and out hopped Peebee with eyes big as saucers. "Ryder! What did you do?" She asked. "Look! This is so cool!" She gestured at the structure that slowly rose out of the ground. "Looks like it's an entrance of some sort."

Jane pushed past Liam and brought her scanner out. "This is amazing, Eric."

"Alright," Eric said looking down at the doors down the ramp. "We don't know what's in there, but it must be important. If we're to find something to help us fix this place up, we'll find it down there."

The others agreed. "Jane, are you picking up anything? SAM?"

Jane looked through the results of the scan. "I can't make sense of it, not yet at least. What about you SAM?"

_"I cannot interpret the nature of this structure just yet. With time and more data, I should be able to figure out the purpose. However, I believe the fastest method is to go inside and have a look."_

Peebee sighed. "Don't tell me you're thinking of staying out here, Ryder?" she said. "Let's go inside and have a look."

"Right."

Eric took the lead, and the rest followed as he interfaced with the door and got it open. The large door panels slid out of the way, and they all walked into the structure. It was dark in the room they entered but other than that it was empty.

The door closed behind them, and they all had a look around in the room. "No way," Peebee said. "All that for an empty room?"

Jane looked very disappointed but investigated every nook and cranny nonetheless. "There has to be more to it," she mumbled. 

"Yeah, Ryder. Do your Pathfinder thing," Peebee said. 

Eric walked another lap around the room, and as he neared the end of the room, the floor opened up before him, revealing a dark abyss. Peebee ran forward to look. "You're good," she said with a smirk.

"That wasn't me," Eric said.

Jane was by his side the moment the floor started moving. "Wow," she said.

"That's a long way down," Cora said after looking down the pit. "Don't think neither jump jets nor biotics will be any help."

Eric nodded and kicked at a small rock that laid by his feet. It rolled over the edge and into the pit. It fell a couple of feet before it came to a stop, hovering mid-air. "That can't be air pressure," Peebee mumbled. "Electrostatic? Ah," she seemed to figure it out. 

Both Jane and Peebee let out understanding hums. "Gravitation," they said in unison.

"Gravitation well," Jane said and turned to her brother.

Eric lit up into a smile. "Really?" he asked, and Jane nodded. "Race you to the bottom?" Without waiting for an answer, he jumped into the pit, and Jane didn't hesitate to follow, getting caught by the gravitation field and lowered deeper into the vault's entrance.

"Hey!" Cora protested but followed once she saw that neither of the twins seemed to be falling to their deaths. "You two!" She glared at the Ryders as they were carried down by the gravitation well. 

"Alright," Liam said, looking simultaneously excited and extremely concerned. "Well... we jumped into the pit, how do we get out of it later?"

Jane looked up at him with a smile. "It's a gravity well, it should work like this both ways, like an elevator," she explained, which did make Liam look a little less worried. "I think I see the bottom down there."

"Looks like some kind of bunker, doesn't it?" Eric asked. "Or a vault?"

Eric and Jane landed first, and Peebee not far behind. Liam and Cora were more cautious than Peebee, who started looking around. 

_"Pathfinder, a scan might help to localize key points in the structure."_

Jane perked up. "Yes! We know roughly what a console looks like on a scan. Pull the sucker out and start scanning." She activated her own scanner, walking around the room and pointed it at anything and everything she could find. Her own scanner wasn't as powerful as Eric's, his being properly integrated with SAM was a luxury Jane didn't quite have, but the results were marvelous nonetheless.

"There's a console up there," Eric pointed and made his way up on top of a platform in the back of the room. "Looks like I can interface. with it."

"So what are you waiting for?" Peebee urged him. "Light it up!"

"You know... one of you were bad enough," Eric mumbled as he fiddled with the console. Both Peebee and his sister ignored him.

The lights in the room flickered, and the humming of the structure intensified before it silenced down onto another frequency. 

_"Pathfinder, a conduit beneath the floor just activated. Fluid is running through it,"_  SAM announced.  _"It could be generating emergency power. Your scanner will have more detail."_

Scanning the place, Eric discovered a pipeline beneath the floor, leading out of the room under a large door on the other side of the gravity well. He pointed at the door. "Conduit leads that way, I bet that if we follow it, we'll find whatever it powers up."

"Could it be the atmosphere processor?" Jane asked.

_"Most likely,"_  SAM confirmed.

Eric lead the way, proceeding through the large door and walking into another room, even larger than the one they were just in. Peebee walked ahead, looking closer at the glowing structure ahead. "Another gravity well," she said. She seemed to spot something further into the room, and a smirk slowly spread across her face. "What do we have here?"

"What?" Jane jogged up to have a look. 

A small device laid on top of another console. It was remnant, but it was unlike anything they'd seen before. This little device was small, clearly meant to be portable and its core glowed the same ways the structure's walls did.

"What could it be? A symbol of authority? A key perhaps?" Peebee mused as she examined the object.  "It's so easy to speculate, but we need more facts. I'll see what I can find on this." She turned around and started headed towards the edge of the room.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, and Peebee looked at him and shrugged. "You leaving now?"

"We can cover more ground if we split up. I'll keep in contact via radio, and we'll meet up when you've fixed the vault," she said.

"She's right about covering more ground," Jane admitted. "I'm sticking with you, though." She looked at her brother with a smile.

"Oh, I work best on my own anyway," Peebee said. "Peace and quiet and all that. I'm on frequency 145.8. Stay safe."

Before anyone had had the time to protest, she was out the nearest door. Liam snorted. "Ten bucks says she ends up in a pit of spikes."

Cora shoved him in the side and regrouped with Eric and Jane. "Where to?"

"This gravity well doesn't seem like it's working," Jane mumbled after having a look at the light show before them.

_"Incidentally, a 'gravity well' is the gravitational effect of a large mass in space. This is more accurately a well with variable gravity."_

Eric nodded. "Copy that, SAM. Keep the notes for Peebee, will you?"

_"Yes, Pathfinder."_

They proceeded to the next room. It was much larger. Eric had his scanner up and followed the conduit under the floor. "Looks like they dug this place through solid rock."

Jane nodded, looking up at the ceiling far above them. "It's beautiful..."

"Whoa," Liam said, walking further into the room and discovering a pool of strange liquid. "What's that?"

"Unable to classify."

"They seem to be needing a whole lot of it, anyway," Eric said. "Be careful," he warned the others as they made their way forward. 

Jane maneuvered herself well across the platforms, making sure to stay clear of the strange liquid around them. She looked back over her shoulder when she heard Liam curse. 

"You okay?"

"This thing eats straight through your shields. Stay well away from it," Liam grimaced. 

"Gotcha," Jane nodded.

Eric and Cora had already made their way across, their biotics giving them the upper hand. "Remnant," Eric said, plucking his assault rifle from his back. "Cora, on me."

Jane ducked into a crouch and picked her pistol from her hip, providing her brother and Cora with some covering fire. The remnants were easily defeated, mostly because they'd been neutral and rather docile before they had spotted the team of humans.

They continued unto a ledge with a view of a whole network of structures, all underground. "My god..." Cora gasped.

"This place is huge," Liam shook his head and put his hand on Jane's shoulder. "Look!" He pointed. "I can't see the end of it!"

"Conduit leads this way," Eric pointed at the path ahead. "Let's find it and then find Peebee."

They headed past the first ledge and onto another. Across a huge gap that lead down into a flood of that strange liquid, hundreds of feet down, they spotted Peebee. 

Eric waved at her to get her attention. "Peebee!"

"Ryder!" Peebee waved back. "That little device we found is not a symbol of authority! The remnant still shoots at me!" she yelled. "I'm going to try it with some of the code we found."

"Peebee, I don't think that's a good idea!" Jane shouted to be heard. "We don't know what it is yet."

Peebee shrugged as she jogged on. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," she said before disappearing through a door.

Jane turned to Liam and sighed. "That pit of spikes seems more and more likely."

"Right?" Liam said with a smile. 

Eric patted them both on the shoulder. "She'll be fine, guys. Let's worry more about finding that atmosphere processor." He looked a little concerned. "The one we found before didn't need all these steps. Dad just interfaced with it directly."

"Let's not," Cora said sternly.

_"Direct intervention was necessary in that case but clearly unwise."_

They traveled through another gravity well, heading deeper down into the vault. They came across a leak in the conduit, and the console controlling the doors were broken, spurting sparks in all directions.

Jane had a closer look at it. "It's busted," she hummed. "I could be able to fix it if I had the right tools..."

"Do you have those tools?"

"I'm not sure," Jane mumbled, being very careful of touching the strange liquid.

"Ryder!" Everyone looked up to see Peebee standing on a ledge not that far up. "What happened? I can't get any of the doors to work!"

"Conduit sprung a leak," Eric explained.

Peebee cursed under her breath before perking up again. "Hey, wait. The Observers were using weird laser frequencies to fix a broken wall back there. I've got the frequency right here."

"Send it to my omnitool, Peebee," Jane said. "I'll try it on the conduit." She received the frequency and tried it out on the broken console. The leak seemed to be fixed, although very primitively. "It should hold, but I don't know for how long."

Her brother patted her on the back. "Good job, sis. The console looks to be working."

"Try interfacing."

As soon as the lock on he doors seemed to lift, Peebee was heading through another door up on the ledge. Saluting the team before she disappeared again. 

Eric pressed forward, his team never far behind. The next room seemed more cavernous than the previous ones, and in the middle of a platform stood a tree. "Plants?" Jane looked closer at the roots that had sprouted through the structure floor. "All the way down here?"

"That's... strange," Cora knelt before the tree to look. "No sunlight. No water... they should all be dead."

"Hell, I can't keep a houseplant alive for a week, and these plants thrive down here," Liam muttered.

_"The source of the system lockdown may yield more information. We appear to be close."_

As they made their way through the vault, Eric couldn't help but think of his father. This was what Alec Ryder had lived for. Exploring the unknown. Seeing things no one's seen before. It was thrilling and utterly terrifying all at once.

_"Pathfinder, we're nearing what I believe is the atmosphere processor. Please, ready yourself."_  SAM's voice echoed in his head, rather than the radio. 

"I will, SAM."

Eric looked over his shoulder at Jane. She stared wide-eyed at the beam of light in the middle of the room. It looked like a ray of pure energy. They rounded the beam and found another console. 

"This must be it," Eric said, reaching out to interface with the console. 

As soon as he pulled back the beam dissolved into tiny particles before disappearing entirely. 

Eric looked around and spotted another one of those small devices on the console. He picked it up to study it. "Huh," he muttered. "Any thoughts, SAM?"

_"Unknown, though it appears related to the lockdown. An in-depth study may reveal its purpose."_ Eric put the device in the small pouch on his back. _"The system lockdown is disabled. The vault, and the atmosphere processor, should return to full operation."_

"Ryder," Peebee's voice sounded over the radio. "You fixed the lockdown, didn't you? The whole place is lighting up. Power readings are off the chart."

"She's right," Jane confirmed, her scanner up and running. "Um... Eric..."

A dull sound boomed through the hall, and the floor vibrated under their feet. Liam poked Eric in the side, pointing to a black cloud heading their way. Everything in its path dissolving into dust.

Jane jumped in place, closing her scanner and taking a step back. "Eric?"

"Go!" Eric shouted, turning and pushing both his sister and Liam towards the exit. "Peebee, get back to the entrance now!"

Peebee's voice sounded again, but this time she sounded very distressed. "I saw it! What is that thing?"

"Just go!"

They bolted towards the exit. Eric took the lead, holding Jane's hand as he ran. "Faster!" He shouted, Liam and Cora mere feet behind him and Jane. "Don't let that thing catch us!"

"Keep running!" Cora shouted when Liam looked back.

They entered another room where they found another gravity well. "Go!" Eric ordered.

"We don't know where it leads!"

"Away from here, and that's all that matters."

Eric made sure everyone was with him when they were carried up through the well. They discovered that the well lead to a hall near the entrance of the vault. "There's the door," Eric pointed. "Peebee, are you there? Peebee, come in."

There was no reply.

"Peebee?"

They spotted the asari come running, chased by two Observers that she swiftly took out as she vaulted over a piece of structure. Eric shoved Jane towards the door. "Go," he said grabbing Cora's arm and pulling her towards the door. 

"Eric, the door's sealed!" Jane said, slamming her fists against the door. "It won't open!"

Eric stopped. They were trapped, he thought before he spotted the console behind them. It was a small chance, but it was better than nothing. He let go of Cora's arm and ran back, towards the console and towards the black energy cloud. 

"Eric!" Jane shouted.

"Keep trying," Eric insisted, working quickly to interface with the console. The cloud was just yards away, and Eric shut his eyes. If he was going to be disintegrated he didn't want to watch.

Liam, placed himself between Jane and the cloud, shielding her with his body. Both of them shut their eyes as the cloud neared.

Then it suddenly stopped before slowly retreating. 

_"Vault restart is now complete."_

Eric opened his eyes and looked at the smoke as it drew back. "We aren't dead!" he said.

"Thank god!" Cora let out a breath of relief. She and Peebee hurried over to Eric. 

"That was..." Peebee was out of breath. "Talk about a rush."

"We aren't dead," Eric repeated. "Guys, I... I think we did it."

Jane leaned against the door and sighed before she looked up at Liam. "Um, hi," she smiled at him.

Liam looked stunned, and a little out of it. "Hi," he said. "Uh... this is awkward."

"Yeah," Jane nodded. "Were you just trying to... save me?"

"Figured that if we were going to die I'd at least try," Liam shrugged. He was blushing and awkwardly shifted his weight from one leg to another.

Jane nodded. "Yeah? Well... thanks."

_"Atmosphere processor is online. Recovering last console activity."_

The console Eric had just activated lit up and displayed a holographic map in the air above it. Jane walked around Liam and stood next to her brother. "That's Eos," she pointed to a dot among many others. 

"Looks like we activated something," Cora said.

Eric nodded. "If that lights where we are... then all those other lights could be vaults on other worlds. Dormant, like this one was."

"Maybe," Peebee agreed. "But why is there a whole network of them? What's all this for?"

"I think... the way it creates and nurtures... it's here to try and made planets livable."

"The first processor we saw was making things worse," Cora pointed out. "But maybe it malfunctioned?"

Eric thought for a moment. "Is that what these builders were trying to do? Make worlds habitable? Terraform a while cluster?"

"Look here," Peebee said. "This one's different. Maybe it's active?" she gestured to another point in the map. "We have to go and get a look."

"SAM?" Eric asked.

_"Extrapolating. These coordinates lie beyond the space we have currently surveyed, Pathfinder."_

"We need more to go on," Eric mumbled. "Let's head back to the surface. I, for one, am eager to get out of here."

They made their way out of the vault. Outside, the storm had subsided, and the storm was replaced by a blue sky. "Look at that sky," Jane gasped. "It's... beautiful."

"How?" Peebee demanded to know. "No atmosphere processor works that fast."

_"If this effect is representative, Pathfinder. Air and moisture patterns will show noticeable improvement. Eos could support an outpost."_

"Eric..." Jane said, taking her brother's hand. 

Eric smiled a warm and very genuine smile. This was what his father was going to do as Pathfinder. This proved that Eric could too. That Alec had been right. "A foothold," he said, looking at his twin. "That's all we need." He looked at Cora, Liam, and Peebee. "This remnant tech could be the key to our survival. If we can control it."

"All the more reason to study it," Jane said.

"Agreed," Peebee piped up. 

"It changes whole planets. Let's go slow," Cora said. 

"And we've got a lead," Eric reminded them. "SAM marked something down on the chart down there. Whatever it is, it's active. Who knows what we'll find there?"

Liam grinned. "More near-death experiences, no doubt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam's a sweetheart and we all know it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets an update on what the Ryder twins have done on Eos, and Eric and Cora have a talk.

Harry smiled at the photo displayed on the screen before him. It was attached to a message from Jane. The picture was of Jane and Eric, both standing with their arms around each other's shoulders. Neither of them was wearing their helmets, they were both smiling at the camera. In the background, Harry could see buildings on a desert-like planet. The message read;  _First Outpost! I know where my first vacation is going to take place!_

"Now, that's the picture they should have in the brochure."

Harry looked over his shoulder at the man behind him. Dr. Myron Boyd leaned over his shoulder. "I would have signed up much earlier if that would have been part of the recruiting campaign." He admired the photo for a few moments. "That's the pathfinder's daughter, isn't it?"

"Yes, Jane Ryder," Harry nodded. "And that's Eric Ryder, her twin brother."

Myron gave an appreciative nod. "Alec Ryder sure did good," he mumbled. "Really good."

Rolling his eyes, Harry closed the message and with it the picture, before he turned to his colleague. "You got anything to do besides hanging over my shoulder when I check my messages?" he asked with a smile.

"Got a whole bunch of things to do, but I'm taking a break and I figured you could use one too. What do you say we head out and grab a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Harry said and got out of the chair. 

They walked out of the office and headed towards the tram. "You thinking of applying to be sent to Eos?" Myron asked. 

Harry shook his head. "Not right now. I've just been told they're waking up a block of new people, gotta be here for that."

"Right, 'cause you're the expert," Myron sighed, he waited for Harry to follow him into the tram. "Hey. What's with the Pathfinder's daughter sending you pictures, Harry?" he changed the subject.

"Alec and I were very close," Harry said, seating himself on one of the benches. "I've known Jane and Eric for years. I suppose I feel a sense of responsibility for the both of them. Apparently, they feel the need to keep me updated on their progress in a more personal way since I left the team."

"Huh," Myron said. "That kind of boring."

Harry shrugged. "Sorry to disappoint, though, I'm not sure what you expected."

Myron gave a sheepish smile. "Nothing, really. Jane Ryder, huh? Pretty girl."

"You're being creepy, Myron."

"Sorry."

-

Jane frowned, as she knelt beside the body of a turian. He laid sprawled out on the hard ground. She scanned the body and stood back up. "Lexi," Jane spoke into her radio. "Update records for Trenitus, Gordanus."

"I will, thank you, Jane," Lexi replied silently.

As the storm os Eos had subsided and Prodromos had been established, a large portion of the planet had become open for them to explore. Jane, Vetra, and Liam had taken on the old outposts while Eric, Cora, and Drack, who had joined up once the outpost had been founded, were looking into activity around Prodromos.

"Jane! I found another," Vetra called, waving at Jane from the roof of one of the buildings. 

"I'll come and scan them," Jane used her jump jet to get up to where Vetra was. "Ylar, Thysa," Jane alerted Lexi.

"Records updated, Ryder."

Vetra shook her head, sighing deeply as they surveyed the outpost from the roof. "This is depressing. They didn't stand a chance out here with the storms, yet the Nexus demanded they gave it a shot." She sounded angry. "I feel lucky that I wasn't sent out here, but I feel horrible for thinking that."

"You don't have to feel bad, Vetra. I'm happy you weren't shipped here. Or else it'd probably be your body I'd be scanning."

Vetra shuddered and waved when she spotted Liam come walking down on the ground. "You find anything?" She asked him. 

"Sand and some nasty bugs," Liam shrugged. "There's some valuable tech in the buildings. I tagged them so that someone can come and pick them up. Should be useful for the people in Prodromos."

Jane and Vetra jumped down from the roof, their jump jets slowing their landing. "Good job, Liam," Jane said. "Speaking of Prodromos. We should head back before it gets dark. I'll call Eric, and he might be able to pick us up."

"I don't mind walking," Liam said. 

"I do," Vetra mumbled. "The sand makes it ten times more annoying than it already is."

Jane smiled at them both. "I'll have Eric come and meet us as soon as he can. In the meantime, we might as well start walking." She gestured for her companions to follow. They headed back towards the road, walking towards Promise. The sand made it a little more difficult to walk, but the weather had been clearing up more and more by each day, and now the air was breathable, and they could walk without their helmets on. 

Liam wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow. "You know what this kind of weather makes me think of?" he asked. "A proper game of football. Two goals, two teams, one ball."

"Is that another one of those human sports?" Vetra all but sighed. "By that description alone, I think I'll pass."

"I'd love a game," Jane said. "Eric and I both played when we were kids."

Liam smiled. "I played too, my dad taught me everything he knew about the sport," he said. "He was relentless. No mercy, what so ever. I don't think I actually won a game against him until after I joined the Alliance and got buff."

"You've been... not buff?" Jane asked.

Liam smirked at her, eyebrow arched. "What? You've been looking?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "It's impossible not to when you run around half-naked all the time," she said. "Ask anyone."

"She's right," Vetra nodded.

Giving an awkward chuckle, Liam slowed his steps. "Well, I'm comfortable like that. I lived in a corridor with 12 guys for two years. Shirts weren't exactly necessary."

"Spicy," Jane grinned.

"Not like that," Liam laughed. "Gosh, Jane. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Did someone request a taxi?" Eric's voice echoed over the radio. 

Cora's voice echoed not long after. "Keep off the road, the Pathfinder's driving."

Jane ushered Liam and Vetra off the road, and a few moments later the Nomad came speeding towards them, skidding to a stop a few feet from where they had just stood. Jane giggled helplessly when her brother opened the door and hopped out. "Hey, you," he said with an innocent smile. "You fancy driving?"

"Please," Cora said, stumbling out of the car after Eric. "Please," she repeated once she was out. 

"I want to drive," Liam said. 

"Anyone but Eric," Cora said. "Literally anyone."

Eric grimaced and turned to his sister. "You find anything interesting?"

Jane frowned. "Bodies," she mumbled. "Tagged them for someone to pick up. Liam found some equipment, and I suggest we fetch those things quickly. There's plenty of scavengers out here."

"Copy that," Eric nodded. 

"When are we heading back to the Nexus?"

"I've asked Kallo and Gil to start prepping the ship. We should be off tomorrow by noon."

"Neat. I want to buy some parts for my scanner. I think I can amp up the range, and lower its frequency." Jane smiled. "And before you ask, because I know you're going to, a lower operation frequency makes it more difficult for outside parties to detect."

"Meaning the scanner won't give you away when you use it," Eric deducted, and his sister nodded. "Clever as always, Jane."

Liam climbed into the driver's seat, eager to finally get to sit behind the wheel. "You guys coming or what?"

-

_"Forgive me, Jane. Dr. T'Perro has me working on kett-samples, and I am monitoring the climate change on Eos, relaying the results to the Nexus. I am, at the moment, unable to assist you with the matter."_

"That's all right, SAM. I'm used to working on my own. I'll try asking again later," Jane said, eying the screen before her. "I like keeping busy, anyway."

The door to the tech lab slid open, and Gil stepped inside. "Hello, girlfriend," he said with a smile. "What are you working on?"

"Remnant code," Jane hummed, leaning back in her seat and narrowing her eyes at the monitors. "Slow, tedious work."

Gil put his hands on his hips and let out a huff. "Can't say I'm jealous of that," he admitted. "I'm here with the scanner you lent me. This baby's a monster, you've got to let me in on some secrets."

Jane looked at him. "I don't kiss and tell," she winked at him. "But I suppose I could show you a little something to get those brain-gears working." She got up and walked over to a shelf, grabbing a datapad and handed it over. "If you can solve it, the scanner code's yours."

"Baby," Gil whistled, grinning at the datapad and the lines of puzzling code it contained. "You spoil me with fun things to do."

"I spoil all my babes." She winked.

They walked out of the tech lab together, heading towards the galley to grab something to snack on. Gil complained about the selection of freeze-dried food and groaned louder each time he found another flavor of instant powder soup.

Jane watched him go through the cupboards with an amused smile on her lips. She nursed a cup of tea in her hands, an asari kind that smelled bitter but tasted sweet. She wasn't sure where it had come from, or who had bothered to smuggle it to Andromeda, but somehow Vetra had gotten her hands on some and Jane loved it.

"Looks like someone beat us," Peebee said as she stepped into the galley, followed closely by Liam and Eric. "Is there anything edible in here?" she asked, walking over to Gil to help him search for something that wasn't in powder form.

Liam slid in to sit next to Jane, while Eric helped himself to some coffee. "Gil, you know anything about Director Tann?" Eric asked. "He and Addison have been on my back ever since we showed up at the Nexus. I think they're going to rip me in half."

"Tann's a stuck-up piece of work," Gil shrugged, grimacing at a gravy flavored bar. "Addison's a bitch, and she knows it."

"She's... difficult," Eric muttered. "I don't mind Tann all that much, at least he's reasonable. Addison's is right out impossible to talk, or work with." He turned to his sister with a scowl. "Every time I've spoken to her she's insulted me, or dad. I'm sick of it. Even now that we've successfully created an outpost, she's yelling at me that it's not enough. We just got here, and we've done more than they have in over a year!"

"It's unfair," Jane sighed. "But it's our job, Eric. Don't listen to her so much. You've got every right to decided our next step."

"You are the Pathfinder," Liam agreed. 

Eric sighed and sat down next to Jane, on the side Liam wasn't already sitting by. "Pathfinding is difficult," he complained, and his sister rubbed him on the back. "The exploring and fighting kett I can deal with, it's the talking with higher-ups, and decision making that's difficult."

Gil clicked with his tongue. "You Ryder's have your work cut out for you. Especially you," he nodded at Eric. "Those choices you make affect thousands of people."

"And piss off half of them," Peebee pointed out, to which Eric let out a groan. "Glorious life of the Pathfinder."

"You can do it," Jane tried to console her twin. "You've got all of us around to help. I bet we could send Gil to chat up Addison. Just think about it! She'll never speak to us again!"

Liam laughed, and Gil seemed to genuinely consider the task. Eric smiled, perking up and sipping on his coffee. "Not a bad idea, but we want to stay on her good side unless she takes my ship away."

"Doesn't mean we can give her a little hell every now and then," Peebee smirked. 

The doors to the galley slid open again, this time Lexi and Drack stepped inside, followed by Vetra. "This is getting a little too crowded for me," Eric got back up. "You guys figure out a plan on how to deal with Addison, and I'll prep a strike team," he joked, heading out the door and letting it swish shut as he climbed up the ladder to get to the labs.

Cora had been holed up in the bio lab for most of the time they spent on the tempest. When she wasn't in the bio lab, she was usually with Jane, but never when there was a crowd.

Eric watched her sit by the desk, typing a report to the Initiative leadership. She looked frustrated, almost angry. Eric remembered how she'd been when they'd first boarded the Tempest. Cora had been irked, and very confused about why Alec Ryder had thrown ranks aside and made Eric the new Pathfinder while it should have been Cora. They'd talked about it, and both agreed to work together.

"Hey," Eric mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cora looked up at him and gave a weak smile. "Hey," she replied before turning back to the display but not tying anything.

"The crew's down in the galley. You're not going to go down there and see what's up?"

"No," Cora sighed. "I... I don't think so. I'm good right here. There are still a few reports to write before we get to the Nexus." She looked away. "I'm not the group kind anyway."

Eric nodded slowly. "I'm not into crowds either," he admitted. "Are you doing okay? You look... like you could use some company."

Cora looked at him. "Look, I can get along with people when I want to, but... getting along doesn't mean fitting in. I don't feel... as if I fit in right now."

"I don't think anyone in this crew fits in anywhere," Eric pointed out. 

"You're right about that," Cora smiled. "It's just... I think some of them are... holding back when I'm around. Liam's Liam, but he holds back on the jokes when I'm around, I think he thinks I'm a stiff soldier type."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and Peebee... well. I know she thinks I'm the stiff soldier type. We don't exactly get along."

Eric pulled a chair out and sat down to listen. "Not everybody is going to get along, Cora. But we've all just started working, and living together. It's going to be a bit... weird and stiff in the beginning. We'll warm up to one another."

Cora sighed and leaned her head in her hands for a few moments before looking back up at Eric. "Of course, it's just... It takes time, and I'm thinking too much."

"You know I'm here if you need someone to talk to. I am a very good listener."

"You've proven that," Cora said with a nod. "Thanks, Eric. It's nice to have someone around that... understands. With the biotics, with the crew and the responsibility, and someone who knew Alec."

Eric didn't answer that, but he nodded and looked around in the bio lab. It was quiet for a moment or two. "I appreciate you working so hard, Cora. But you need to have some downtime, too."

Cora huffed. "Yes, well... remind me of that a couple of times a day."

"If that's what you want," Eric smiled. "Look, let me help you out with the reports. We'll finish them up, and then you'll have to promise not to do anything work-related until we're back at the Nexus, okay?"

"Okay," Cora nodded. She scooted her chair to the side and Eric pushed his chair in next to hers. "Thanks, Eric," Cora mumbled before they started going through the events on Eos, and the founding of Prodromos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just finished writing THE MOST satisfying scene and omg. I think my lifespan increased a bit. I'm so excited about the next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tempest returns to the Nexus. Jane visits Harry and Eric has a goddamned diamond spine.

"Look at it! It's much bigger than the last time we were here!" Liam pointed at the Nexus in the distance. "Looks like construction has started back up." He turned to Eric with a grin. "Now, can we have a welcome party?"

Eric chuckled. "I heard they opened up a bar somewhere on the Nexus. You find it, and first rounds on me."

"Yes!" Liam made a small victory gesture. "Jane. Peebee. You hear that?"

Peebee sprung out of the escape pod, smiling widely as she walked to stand next to Liam. "Loud and clear," Jane said and gave her brother's shoulders a rough pat. "Way to boost morale, brother."

"If the crew's happy, I know I will be too."

"You're too sweet," Peebee gushed. "You realize that half of us already know where that bar is, right?" she asked. Eric answered with a shrug and a smile. "What's on the to-do list, boss?"

Eric turned to the part of the crew, that wasn't currently maneuvering the Tempest into the Nexus' docking bay. "Cora and I are to meet with Tann at the Pathfinder HQ. The rest of you are free to do what you'd like."

Jane turned to Liam, giving him a shove in the side. "Once I've taken care of some business, we're finding that bar."

"Count me in," Peebee chirped. 

"Preparing for docking, Pathfinder," Kallo announced. With ease, he navigated the Tempest into the docking bay before turning to the crew with a confident smile. "Looks like you have a crowd waiting for you," he said, grinning at Eric.

The Pathfinder stepped up to the bridge and looked at the docks. Kallo was right, a small crowd gathered on the ledge overlooking their docking platform. They were waving and cheering. Jane gasped, looking very excited. "Look, Eric! We're famous now! Or... well, you are."

Eric blushed and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not famous," he mumbled. "Just..." he looked at his crew, who were all looking at him with expectant eyes and teasing smirks. Eric cleared his throat, his cheeks burning red. "Cora, let's head out."

Cora gave Jane a smile and then followed Eric, who was stomping out of the bridge without looking back.

As soon as her brother was out the door, Jane turned to the turian standing behind her. "Alright, Vetra. I've got a pocket full of credits that are calling for compressed radio components. Help a girl out."

With a soft laugh, Vetra wrapped an arm around Jane's shoulders. "I've got your back, Ryder. I've got a guy I've been meaning to talk to anyway. Bet you and I can squeeze some deals out of him."

"We should bring Drack, have him stand behind us and look dangerous."

"I like the way you think," Vetra nodded.

They left the Tempest, and Jane giggled when she spotted her brother being trapped by a crowd near the team. She waved at him when she and Vetra walked past the crowd to haggle with one of the shopkeepers. 

The man was reluctant to part with the components Jane needed, but the moment Drack joined them the shopkeeper suddenly seemed very happy to hand them over with a discount. The way Drack and Vetra hovered on either side of Jane made them look like bodyguards. 

The shopkeeper handed the parts over and Jane thanked him with a smile and the credits he'd agreed to deal with. He gave an uncertain wave when the trio walked away.

Jane smiled, patting both Vetra and Drack on the arm. "Thanks, guys. You two are awesome."

"No problem, kid," Drack grinned.

Vetra nodded, looking Jane up and down. "You look like you're eager to be elsewhere," she pointed out. "Want me to hold on to the radio parts for you?"

"Yes, please." Jane gave Vetra the components. "I'm heading to the Hyperion to check on SAM Node.  If you see Liam, tell him not to start drinking without me."

She saluted her companions before she turned and headed for the tram. It took her straight to the Hyperion where she stepped out and headed towards SAM Node and her father's quarters.

SAM was occupied with both Initiative work and other tasks people on the Nexus needed help solving. He was much too busy to help Jane with decrypting codes. Jane felt defeated when she left SAM to his work. If she was the Pathfinder SAM would no doubt be putting all his resources into helping her? Perhaps she could speak with Eric and ask him to sneak the code to SAM? She was certain that if she asked her brother the problem would be solved in no time.

She mused together a plan as she stopped by her father's room. She went in there just to have a look around and reminisce for a while. She missed her father and his company. There wasn't anyone around to talk to like she talked to him.

The thought of visiting Harry hit her when she sat on the couch in Alec's room.

Jane had sent him a message when they had gotten Prodromos up and running, and Harry had replied briefly with a few congratulatory words. Now that Jane wasn't busy, she figured she'd pay him a visit to see if he was doing well. He'd chosen to leave the Pathfinder team and remain on the Nexus. Part of her knew that she shouldn't disturb him while he worked, but she knew that Harry wouldn't turn her down if she showed up for a chat.

She made her way to the medbay and looked around the room for the familiar face. She spotted Harry calibrating a large machine that appeared to be analyzing x-ray results. He looked as if he had a moment or two to be bothered in.

"Hey, Harry," Jane greeted him with a smile and a wave. She walked towards where he stood between a bed and a machine.

Harry turned around and smiled when he saw her. "Jane, I heard that the Tempest was back. Lexi relayed the reports to me, Eric seems to be doing a good job as our Pathfinder."

"The best," Jane smiled. " I was in the neighborhood and decided to pop in to visit. How are you? How have things been here?"

Harry sighed and gently shook his head. "Things are hectic, uneasy and people don't trust their neighbors," he muttered. "Everyone is waiting for another rebellion. Waiting for something else to go wrong."

Jane frowned. "That bad?"

"It varies each day," Harry admitted. "One day everyone's cheering for the Initiative, the next day they're cursing it."

"How are you doing?"

Harry arched an eyebrow. "I do my job, and don't conspire against the Initiative leadership, like a good citizen." He smiled and Jane couldn't help but smile back. "Don't worry about me, Jane. I'm used to the stress and high tempo. Your father made sure of that."

It was silent for a moment. "Do you miss him?" Jane asked silently, shifting where she stood.

The doctor before her slumped a little, shoulders sinking. "I do," he confessed. "More than I thought I would. Damn, I mean... I knew we wouldn't live forever, and being Pathfinder is the toughest job in the galaxy but... Alec just felt... like he would always be around."

"I know what you mean..."

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. I'm grateful and relieved to have made it here, but... it's bittersweet without him."

Jane nodded. "Tell me about it," she sighed. "I miss him like crazy."

Harry smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. "He'd be proud of you, Jane. Of how well you're doing."

"Thanks, Harry. That means a lot to hear. Actually... I was just in his old room when I thought of you. Thought I'd stop by and just... yeah." She gave a sheepish smile.

The doctor gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Well... should you ever need me. You know where to find me." His hand fell off her shoulder and back to his side. "I've got work to do, but don't hesitate to grab me if you need anything."

Jane nodded firmly. "I'll remember that, and hold you to it."

Harry laughed softly. "See you later, Jane." 

-

"I'm not against it, I'm just saying that creating an outpost without protection sounds a bit risky. You expect us to send our scientists out to Eos just like that? When there's still kett around?"

Eric sighed and tried, for the fourth time in a row, to explain that Prodromos was not defenseless and that their chances were far larger than both Promise and Resilience. "As I said before," Eric sighed. "The outpost has a sufficient amount of trained guards and soldiers that are more than willing to protect their people. The scientists are safe, and should an emergency arise, then we will be able to send help. Creating military bases around the cluster isn't going paint us in good colors. We need to be peaceful. We didn't come to Andromeda to jump straight into a war."

"With all due respect, Director," Cora added, "I agree with the Pathfinder. We need resources and research to establish a hold in Helius. Soldiers aren't going to make that happen. This is the most rewarding choice."

Tann finally looked convinced, but Addison rolled her eyes. She had proved to be much more difficult that Eric had imagined, and she was already horrible in his eyes.

"We cannot risk the Initiative by being reckless and sending defenseless people out like that," she argued. "I don't want to wake people up and send them out just to be captured or killed."

"They are not defenseless. You need to have more faith in us, and our people," Eric argued back. "They are capable and eager to start their lives. They are willing to work for it, let them get that chance."

Addison huffed, shaking her head and looking at Tann with a grimace. "Tann, don't tell me that you agree with him?"

Tann sighed. "I do, in fact, agree with him, Addison. He's made his point, provided logical and reasonable arguments. I believe that he knows what he's doing."

Tann's words seemed to irk Addison to the point where she looked furious. "I don't want to be responsible for thousands of lives when this goes wrong!" she said. 

"Then shut up, and hand the responsibility over to someone who will," Eric yelled. The room fell silent and everyone stared at him. "You are a director of the Initiative. You're part of the leadership that thousands of people put their trust in when they signed up. You are letting them all down right now. If you can't handle the responsibility, step down."

Addison looked as if she was ready to explode. "Fine," she said. "If you think I'm so irresponsible, I'll leave the task to you, Pathfinder. From now on, you will be the one who decides who wakes up, and when. I won't be insulted by a kid like you." She turned on her heels and stomped towards the exit. She stopped in the doorway and turned around, glaring right at Eric. "Your father would be ashamed of you, Ryder. At least Alec would know who is in charge here."

Eric gulped, courage swaying but he stood his ground. "If my father was here, he would be in charge. And I don't shy away from responsibilities."

Addison stormed out of the Pathfinder HQ, the door sliding shut behind her and leaving the room in complete and utter silence. Eric slumped, relaxing even though Tann was there. Eric took a deep breath before addressing Tann. "I'm sorry for exploding like that."

"Think nothing of it," Tann shook his head. "I'm glad someone's not afraid to be putting Addison in her place. We've needed someone to do that for over a year."

"I must admit, she seems difficult," Cora said. She was very passive at the meetings, but always backed Eric up when she felt he needed it. 

Eric shook his head. "No matter what, we are going to continue with our jobs. Addison isn't going to stop me from doing my job as Pathfinder, but I need some help keeping her at bay."

"I'll try my best, Ryder. But I can't work miracles," Tann said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Keep doing good work, and you'll have my support."

"Right." 

They all looked to the door when Kesh and Kandros stepped inside. Kesh looked amused and walked up to Ryder while slowly shaking her head. "I saw Addison storm out of here with the most pissed of grimace I've ever seen. What happened this time?"

"Director Addison disagreed with our Pathfinder and renounced her responsibility of the cryo pods. Ryder was gracious enough to pick that up."

"Please, let me be of assistance if I can, Pathfinder," Kesh offered. "I might not be able to do the work for you, but I can make things much easier."

"That would be appreciated," Eric nodded. "Kandros, if you wouldn't mind I would like to have a word with you later. Eos needs a squad of trained soldiers, I'm hoping you can point me to those who are up for the task."

Kandros nodded. "I'll personally handpick a group, Pathfinder."

"Good. My team and I have a lead on a terraforming network. We're heading deeper into the sector to investigate. If our speculations are right, activating the network might make the entire cluster habitable."

"Careful, though," Kandros warned. "The kett are scouring the cluster for remnant technology. You'll end up in a fight for sure. You might also run into exiles... They didn't exactly leave the Nexus on good terms."

"We also need more outposts," Kesh pointed out. "We need to support the Nexus, and outposts will feed our people."

"Though with arks still missing, this could be a chance for you to search for them," Tann suggested.

Eric held back a sigh. "There's a lot of work to be done. I'll take care of it all, in due time. First, we scout out the cluster. We'll no doubt find more worlds as we investigate this network, and we're bound to find clues about the other arcs as we explore."

"Very well, Pathfinder. We put our trust in you."

"All I ask is that you give me a chance to do my job. I can't perform miracles, but I won't stop until we've made Helius our home."

Eric said goodbye to the Initiative leadership and headed out of the hall, Cora trailing behind him. She put her hand on his shoulder as they walked towards operations. "Are you okay, Ryder?"

"I'm fine, I just... I'm a bit wound up. I'll go and have a look at the cryo pod clearance and then I think I'll call it a day, if you don't mind," Eric mumbled. 

"Of course not. Do you need anything?"

Eric thought for a short moment. "No, but thank you."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, Cora." Eric brushed her hand off his shoulder. "I... need to be alone for a while. I need to talk to SAM, and... try and sort my thoughts out. If you need me, I'll most likely be in SAM Node, or in my father's old quarters, but I'd like to be alone for a while."

Cora nodded. "I'll make sure you won't be disturbed."

Eric gave her a grateful and very tired smile. "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how SATISFYING that last part was to write. SUCK IT, Addison!!!! (Is it possible to tell that I don't like her very much?)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you have to ask for help.

"Jane, could you... come here for a moment?" Eric spoked into the radio. 

His sister replied a few seconds later. "Sure. I'm in the galley, making tea. You want me to make you some?"

Eric hesitated before replying, "Yes." Jane promised to come see him as soon as she was finished and Eric leaned back, resting his back against the headboard of his bed. His head was aching, and SAM had agreed to leave him alone for the evening. 

Jane soon stepped through the door, balancing two cups on a tray. Both cups were steaming, and Jane looked concentrated not to spill. "Hey, you," she said with a smile, walking over to her brother's bed and setting the tray down on the nightstand. "What's up?" She awkwardly climbed over Eric to sit on the other side of the bed.

The goofy roll she did to get settled made Eric chuckle. "You could have walked around."

"Not as fun," Jane poked him in the side. "Part of my job, as a sister and not official member of the Pathfinder team, is to be a nuisance to you at least once a week." She leaned her head on Eric's shoulder, pulling her knees to her chest. "Now that that's taken care of... what's on your mind?"

It was silent for a while, and Eric let out a long sigh. "I told you about the memory blocks dad set up, right?" he asked, and Jane nodded 'yes'. "Well... SAM notified me that I'd gathered enough of those triggers to unlock one of them."

"And? What happened?"

"I... I saw dad's memories or at least one of them," Eric silenced down and looked down at his hands. "I saw the day he found out that mom was dying. I..." He choked up. "I saw mom, I heard her. It was so real, it was as if she never..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Gosh, Jane... I don't know if I can do it."

Jane was quick to console her brother. "Hey," she wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay."

Eric sniffled. "Sorry. I'm doing that thing again."

"Bottling things up?" Jane nodded.

"Yeah," Eric sighed. "I just... It's so weird to remember something you haven't done. To see the world through someone else's eyes and feel what they felt." Tears had formed in the corners of his eyes and Jane had a hard time hold her own tears back. "Dad loved mom so much. When his suggestion for AI integrated with humans was denied he was so angry, and when mom gave him the news he was devastated. I-I was devastated... I don't really know what was what."

"Dad cared about all of us. He wouldn't admit it, but he was an emotional man."

"Yes," Eric nodded. "Driven by emotion, even. Everything he did was because of what he felt for mom and us." He sucked in a sharp breath. "I got access to some of the encrypted logs. And it... it really made me think."

Jane nodded. "I understand. I don't know what you're going through exactly, but I know this isn't easy for you."

"It really isn't. I'm sorry, I'm trying but there just so much and the pile of things I have to do and take care of is growing so fast."

"It heard about Addison," Jane scowled. "God, Eric. Seems like you handled it better than most."

Eric shook his head. "It can't stand her. I don't care if she doesn't like me, but does she have to make everything so difficult?" He sighed, angrily wiping tears from his eyes and cheeks. He took a few more deep breaths to try and calm himself. "No, it's fine. This is my job now, it's fine. I'll handle it," he talked to himself.

Jane gave his shoulders a squeeze. "You're not alone."

Eric turned his head and gave her a sad smile. "No, and I'm grateful. And... I've decided to ask Lexi for some help. SAM has agreed to help in whatever way he can. I'm going to be fine."

"I'm happy to hear that. You're only human, Eric. We're not invincible, we get hurt, and we hurt."

"Can we... lay here for a while?" Eric asked. "And do nothing?"

Jane scooted down to rest her head against one of the soft pillows. "Of course we can. Laying down is one of my favorite things to do."

Eric laid down and let out a smaller, less pained sigh. His thoughts and his father's memory haunted him, and it was difficult to handle. He had his own memories but also his father's, and it made him confused, and his head hurt. The residual devastation from feeling what Alec had felt, and the shock of seeing and hearing his mother again was difficult, and just enough to tip him over an edge he didn't know he had.

"Jane," he mumbled. "Tell me about your day, please. I need to hear normal things."

His sister smiled. "Get ready for normal, then."

-

Liam smiled as he stepped into the galley. Both Ryder twins were in there, eating their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Jane sat with a piece of dried fruit between her lips as she tapped away on her datapad, she sat in the couch with her legs drawn up to her chest and her back leaned into Eric's side. He was drinking coffee and going through one of Cora's reports.

"Ryder 1 and 2, what's for breakfast?"

Eric lifted a hand and pointed to the pot on the stove, containing a grainy mush that resembled some kind of porridge. Neither of the twins had had any of it, and Liam grimaced when he stirred a spoon through the mixture. It was the closest thing to cement he'd seen since he'd left Earth.

"Drack's?" He asked, and Eric nodded. "I'll pass."

"I don't know how he eats it," Eric said.

Liam shrugged and sat down on the other side of the couch. "When most of your insides are artificial, I guess it doesn't matter all that much," he said with a shrug.

Eric looked at her sister as she glared onto the datapad, a spoon tucked behind her ear and her pointer pen in her teacup on the table. He leaned over, looking at what she was doing. She was looking at an odd set of symbols, that looked very much like remnant glyphs. "What are you looking at?"

Jane looked up at him. "Remnant code. It's what we've gathered from consoles, monoliths, and that vault. I'm trying to figure out what this is. SAM's been too busy to help, and neither Gil nor Peebee has a clue of where to start."

Eric thought for a moment, rubbing his chin. "Have you tried asking Harry?"

"Why would I ask Harry?" Jane asked.

"Well," Eric shrugged. "He worked with Quarians and Geth back in the Milky Way. I think dad mentioned that Harry inofficially helped once or twice with SAM."

Jane lit up, her interest sparked. "Really?" she asked, then slapped her hand against her forehead. "Of course! Harry was one of the humans who worked with the Geth! You're a genius, Eric. I didn't even think of that."

Eric gave a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders. "I am the Pathfinder. I need to know a thing or two about the people around me."

"Eric Ryder, you are the best Pathfinder in the galaxy." Jane smiled as Eric ruffled her hair. "I'll head up and have a chat with Harry right away."

"Sure, and I'll go and have a word with Lexi in a bit. Want to help go through fanatic messages later?"

"Count on it," Jane nodded. "I'll see you in a bit."

Jane got up, standing on the couch and leaping over her brother and landing gracefully on the floor. She turned, grabbed her datapad and winked at Eric before she quickly left the Tempest.

Of course Harry would know more, she thought to herself. Harry wasn't just a doctor. He'd been doing all kinds of interesting research before he was recruited into her father's Pathfinder team.

When she walked into the medbay, Harry seemed to be unoccupied, and she waved at him when he spotted her. "Taking a break?" she asked.

"Something like that," Harry nodded. "Hello, Jane. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, Harry." Jane smiled. "Could I steal you for a moment? I'd like your help with something."

Harry nodded. "I'll do my best to help," he said. He gestured to the right, and they walked aside not to be in anyone's way. "What can I do for you?" Harry asked, looking at Jane with a gentle smile.

Jane held up her datapad. "I've got some code here, that I could use an expert's opinion on," she said and gave the datapad a light shake.

"I'm hardly a coder, and you know it, Jane."

"You worked with Quarians and Geth back in the Milky Way," Jane pointed out. "I was on a team that looked for Prothean artifacts." She gestured to herself and then unlocked her datapad and showed Harry the code. "I bet if we put our pretty heads together we'll be able to solve this. These remnants have a super intricate code structure, and I've managed figure out a couple of symbols, and I think I know what at least one of the functions does but... I could really use your input."

Harry looked intrigued and leaned closer to get a proper look. He pointed to what Jane had narrowed down to a function. "That's what you've got, yeah?" Jane handed him the datapad, and Harry scrolled through the code a few times.

"Yeah. I believe that this is the call function that runs when Eric activates a monolith, uh... one of the remnant structures-"

"I know what they are, Jane. I have been keeping up with your reports."

Jane snapped her mouth shut and pressed her lips together to keep herself from talking. Of course, he knew. Now she felt foolish for trying to tell him. She ignored the burn in her cheeks and watched silently as his eyes darted over the small screen.

He hummed to himself, brows furrowed and lips pouted. Then he seemed to spot something and his mouth curved into a crooked smile. "This here looks familiar," he said and pointed to a line. "I don't know what symbols these are, and I don't know what it says, but this structure and some of the syntax looks a lot like what geth used to identify each other."

"Of course!" Jane said. "It's an identification matrix, which means... if I do this..." her fingers pressed on the datapad and Harry watched. "This should be able to determine the ID, and this should.... translate..."

The code before them changed drastically, the symbols turned into strings of actual letters. They were all jumbled and looked like a mess. But now the letters were readable.

"Genius, Jane!" Harry said, placing his hand on Jane's shoulder and giving her a light shake. "That's amazing."

"It's a start," Jane said. She was proud and pleased that she'd been able to begin a proper decryption process, but the real prize wasn't the code, it was that she'd impressed Harry. Pride blossomed in her and the way Harry smiled made her heart pound harder. "Thank you for your help, I would never have figured that out."

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure you would have. I only pointed you in the right direction."

"And that was just what I needed." Jane smiled up at him. "I can't thank you enough."

The doctor gave a bow. "I told you to come if you needed me. I'm happy to help."

Jane's cheeks flushed red. Harry's praise, his impressed expression, and his kind smile made her insides churn pleasantly. She pushed a lock of her hair in behind her ear. "Well," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. "I should come more often. Maybe I'll solve more problems with you around."

"You're always welcome."

Harry eyed the cryptic code. Distracted. Captivated by the mystery, and the delight of having taken part in trying to solve it. Jane watched him in wonder. His handsome features were adorned with a charming smile. She adjusted herself, shifting where she stood.

The doctor turned and looked at her, and she flashed him a nervous smile. "I'll hold you to that," she said. "As long as I'm welcome, I'll keep coming."

He smiled at her, pleased to hear it but also amused. "I look forward to it."

Jane blushed, turning away. "Thank you, for the help, Harry. Your help was invaluable, but I must be going. Eric is... waiting for me to return, probably."

She hadn't finished her sentence when her brother walked in through the door of the medbay. "Harry!" He waved and walked over to where Harry and Jane were standing. "Lexi sent me to-"

"I have to go," Jane snatched the datapad out of Harry's hand and headed for the door. She all but ran, keeping her head low and her eyes glued to the ground. She stepped around her brother and headed out of the medbay.

Harry and Eric exchanged confused looks. "What was that about?" Eric asked.

Humming, Harry looked at the door that had closed behind Jane. "I'm... not sure." He narrowed his eyes for a moment before turning back to the older Ryder sibling. "What can I do for you, Eric?"

Eric shifted nervously. "Lexi sent me to pick some things up," he said.

"Things?" Harry asked, arching a brow in question. "What things might that be?"

"Uh... just take this," Eric looked down at his omnitool and swiped the recipe he'd gotten from Lexi over to Harry's omnitool. "She said you would help me."

Harry eyed the recipe and nodded slowly to himself. "Of course," he looked at Eric with a gentle and understanding smile. "Would you like me to send this directly to the Tempest?"

"Actually, yeah," Eric said with a nod. "That would be great. Saves me some awkward questions and embarrassing encounters while carrying it around."

"Mental health isn't something to be embarrassed about, Eric," Harry soothed him. "Needing a bit of help and taking the step to get it is very brave. I'm proud of you."

Eric nodded slowly. "Yeah, well. Thanks, Harry. I'm doing my best here."

Harry gave Eric's shoulder a pat. "You're doing good work, Eric. Just remember to take care of yourself too. If you need to talk, I'm always available. And you have Dr. T'Perro aboard the Tempest."

"She's been a great help," Eric admitted. "And so has Jane. She's a rock. Don't know what I'd do without her." He looked over his shoulder. "She seems to be taking things much better than I am. I wish I had her integrity."

Harry gave a light chuckle. "Trust me, Eric. You are not the only one. I'm surprised at how well your sister has bounced back from her little mishap with the kett, but I'm glad that she's okay."

Eric smiled. "Me too. Thanks for everything, Harry. I'll let you know if I need you. I'll leave you to your work."

"Until we meet again, Pathfinder." Harry turned to leave but stopped and looked over his shoulder at the Pathfinder. "Oh, and wish your sister good luck with that remnant code form me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update, but like... school is taking up like 40 hours a day 8 days a week and I have to stay on my toes not to fall off.
> 
> But here's a chapter. Enjoy!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric bonds with his crew.

"Where are we going?" Cora asked, looking at Eric with her head tilted to the side. "I thought you said we were done on Eos?"

Eric turned and gave her weak smile. "There are a few things I need to have a look at. I could use your help with a number of things, actually," he admitted. "I sent you the case file for Nilken, Andromeda's first murder case. Thing is, they never recovered the body off of Eos, and that's a very important piece of evidence that's being overlooked."

"It does sound worth investigating," Cora nodded. "Say the word, and I'll be there."

"Good, thank you," Eric didn't turn away immediately, and Cora caught that. 

"Is there something else you'd like to talk about?" She asked. Cora patiently waited while Eric seemed to be making his mind up. He forced a smile, looking down at his hands. "Eric?"

Eric looked back up, cleared his throat and straightened himself where he stood. "I thought you should know, as my second-in-command, that I'm having some trouble with my... well-being right now," Eric confessed after a few deep breaths. "I won't let it interfere with my work or my duties, but..." he paused and tried to find the right words to use. His tongue felt thick and clumsy, and his fingers itched. "We're partners. We tell each other things. If I'm not as sharp as I can be, I need you to help out."

Cora nodded. "Of course, Eric. That's my job." She reached out and gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "Let me be sharp for you until you feel better."

Relief flooded through Eric, and he gave Cora a grateful smile. "That means the world to me," he admitted. "Thank you."

"Should you ever need me," Cora said. "You know I'll be here. For anything, Eric."

Eric gave another, more confident smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Cora. But for now, let's focus on the task ahead. I'd like you by my side on the field."

"Always," Cora nodded. "I'll be here in case you need me, Pathfinder. And... thanks for confiding in me. I appreciate your trust."

With a nod, Eric said goodbye and left the bio lab. Vetra and Drack stood shoulder to shoulder by the research station, mumbling something about a ruined chestplate and replacements. Eric decided that it was best to leave them alone. 

He found his sister and Liam in the crew quarters. They on the floor before their bunks, both with a drink in their hand as they talked. They looked relaxed and deep in conversation. Eric didn't want to bother them and left before he'd even properly entered the room. 

Suvi and Kallo were joking around on the bridge, and the only one that didn't seem to be particularly occupied was Gil. He hung out in the cargo bay, leaning against the railing near the elevator, waving happily when Eric walked by. 

"Hey, Ryder."

"Hey," Eric said. "You look thoughtful."

Gil hummed. "Yeah, I was kind of wondering if I could make the jump from here to the Nomad roof," he said, pointing at the Nomad down on the floor of the cargo bay. 

Eric looked concerned. "I'd rather not have a face shaped dent in the Nomad, thank you very much."

"Not even this handsome mug?"

"Well..."

Gil laughed. "Don't worry. I'll practice on shorter jumps before I take this one on. I almost made it across the elevator gap yesterday," Gil said. "Felt like an Olympic athlete when I pulled myself over the ledge. You should have heard Lexi cheer... or maybe she was screaming?"

"So that was what that ruckus was about," Eric smiled. He stood beside Gil, leaning against the same railing. 

"So how's the pathfinding going?" Gil asked. "Heard we're heading further into the cluster from Jane, but not before making a trip back to Eos?"

"Yeah, I have some business on Eos that needs my attention, then we're going to look for... well anything we can find. Arks, vaults, anything." Eric thought for a moment. "You and Jane seem close."

"Well, yeah," Gil said. "We get along pretty well, then again... I get along with almost anyone." He shrugged. "Jane's a sweet girl, she tries to get the crew together a lot. She's always disappointed when you're busy, you know."

"Really?" Eric felt guilty for a moment. 

Gil nodded. "Family means a lot to her. Coax enough drinks into her, and you're all she ever talks about," he said. "Makes me wish I was part of the Ryder family. You guys seem like a hoot."

Eric smiled. "We Ryder have always been close. Family dinners every week, get-together's on all the holidays, family vacations," he smiled at the fond memories of his family. "The whole deal. Idyllic."

There was a slight pause, and Eric thought of his family for a while. He still remembered the day he got word of his mother's illness... and he could still feel his father's memory. It hurt knowing that you'd soon lose someone you loved, the one you loved. Eric wasn't sure what he'd do if that happened again. If he'd lose Jane there was no way he'd be able to go, he couldn't stand losing another one he loved. Not Jane, not-

"Hey," Gil mumbled. 

Eric turned his head and looked at the engineer. Gil looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry about your father. He seemed like a good sort."

"The best," Eric nodded sadly. "If I can be half as good as he was, I'll be fine."

Gil gave him a weak smile. "You're doing more than fine, Ryder. I was just about to lose hope when you got here. You and your team brought more than supplies. You brought a fresh batch of hope."

Eric smiled back. "I'm glad, and we... I certainly couldn't do what I do without you."

"You flatter me, Pathfinder. Careful, I might write you a horrible poem."

"You know about those?" Eric chuckled.

Gil's smile widened. "Jane told me about them when we were at the Vortex. Hilarious, but concerning. You should watch your back, and your drinks."

"Perhaps you should? Since you seem to know what to look out for?"

"Oh, I'll watch your back," Gil nodded. "I'll watch everything back there."

Eric blushed. "Right."

"I'm messing with you," Gil nudged his arm. "Kind of, when you walk away. Walk away slowly, yeah?" 

Eric pushed himself off the railing and gave Gil another smile. "Stay cool, Gil." 

"Always, Pathfinder." Gil winked.

With a small wave, Eric turned and headed back towards the bridge.

-

"Alright, everyone. I've just talked to Bradley. There's a strange Kett facility west of Prodromos. It's growing, and it's bound to cause trouble," Eric explained. His crew was gathered around him in the meeting room. "Then there's the investigation of Nilken Rensus. I myself will look into it."

"Why don't you let me head on over and check the Kett facility out?" Jane suggested. 

Eric hesitated. "I'm not sure," he mumbled. 

"I'll go with her," Drack offered. "I haven't kicked a kett in the teeth for almost a week! Vetra, what do you say? I know you've been itching to try that new toy of yours," Drack said, waving a hand at Vetra.

Vetra nodded slowly. "You're right about that, and firepower is always good to have."

"I'll come too," Liam said. "Never know when you'll need a crisis specialist."

Jane grinned at him. "What makes you think it's going to be a crisis?" she asked. "You don't think we'll work it out?"

Liam smiled at her. "I know you will, and I want to be there for that."

"Alright. Jane, Vetra, Drack, and Liam. You check out the kett facility." Eric nodded. "Cora, you're with me. Peebee, you-"

Peebee shook her head. "I'm going remnant hunting. I work the best alone, as previously mentioned, and according to my scanners there might be some remnant activity somewhere on Eos."

Eric nodded. "Just be careful. Keep in contact with me and Cora. Stay on your toes. Bradley says there are still lingering spots of radiation around Eos."

"I'll be careful," Peebee promised.

"Alright," Eric looked at his crew and nodded. "Get to work everybody." He turned, just as Jane was about to leave, and grabbed her by the arm. "I need to talk to you before you leave," he said.

Jane stopped and turned to her brother. "Eric, I will be careful," she said, already sensing what he had to say.

Eric frowned. "I'm your older brother. I've got a right to worry," he said. "I'm always going to be worried about you, no matter where you go. I just want you to know that I trust you and I love you."

"You aren't sending me away on some suicide mission. It's just a facility filled with kett," Jane grinned.

Eric gave her a light shove in the side. "You're not helping. Jane. This isn't funny. I can't let go of what happened on Habitat 7. I do not, you hear me, I do not want a repeat of that," he all but growled that last part and even Eric felt that it was too much.

Jane's grin fell, and she gave a slow nod. "Y-Yes, sir."

It was Eric's time to frown. His sister had never called him sir before, not even on active duty. He didn't like it, but Jane had a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite read.

"I'll go and get ready," Jane mumbled, averting her eyes and quickly spinning around to leave.

"Jane," Eric stopped her again. "Please, be careful."

"Okay," his sister said before disappearing out of sight.

Eric sighed and made is way down to his quarters. "SAM, would you please make Jane's team your priority while they handle the kett? But do not tell Jane that I've asked you to help them."

_"Understood, Ryder. I shall be discreet."_

"Thank you."

Eric suited up and headed back to the Tempest cargo bay, his team was already on their way out. Jane gave him a reassuring smile before she followed Liam out. Eric was relieved, it meant that she wasn't angry with him. They were taking a shuttle to check out the facility while Cora and Eric took the Nomad. 

Cora drove, and Eric sat silently in the passenger seat as they neared the navpoints he'd gotten from Tann. Cora stopped the car, and Eric stepped out. He couldn't see a body, but it had been some time since the murder. 

_"Sandstorm would have buried the body long ago I suggest scanning,"_  SAM said.

Eric did as suggested and brought his scanner up, walking back and forth for a few moments to try and find the remains of Reynolds body. Eventually, he found a pile of what had once been a person. 

Cora frowned at the pile as Eric scanned it. "Kaerkyns?" she suggested.

"Looks like it," Eric nodded.

_"Pathfinder, it is an armor piece buried deeper down, a leg bracer. The scan indicates tissue and bone fragments clinging to it. DNA identified as Chief Reynolds. Indications suggest his body was torn to pieces."_

Eric winced. "So Kaerkyns," me mumbled, looking at Cora, who wore a similar grimace. "This does make things a little bit more difficult."

"We'll figure it out," Cora said. 

"The remaining armor will be scattered, or perhaps brought to a nest. The chest piece and his omnitool may explain his death."

Eric gave his second-in-command a nod, and they spread out to search for more pieces of armor. Both of them walked around, scanners out and searching the warm sand. 

SAM alerted Eric that another piece of armor was near, and Eric flagged Cora down. She came jogging just as Eric had gotten the results of the scan from SAM.  "Found his helmet," Eric said. 

"Looks like we've got a trail then," Cora smiled. "I'll follow your lead."

They continued walking. Cora patted Eric on the shoulder, pointing to a whirlwind of sand a few hundred yards away. "Looks eerily like a tornado, doesn't it?" she asked. "Do you think we should be worried?"

Eric looked at the slim pillar of dust and shook his head. "I think it's fine. If we were in danger, SAM would at least have mentioned bad weather."

"True," Cora chuckled. "Never hurts to be careful, though. We can't rely on technology too much."

"You're right, of course," Eric smiled at Cora. 

Eric spotted another lump in the sand and scanned it. It was nothing but debris, so they continued.

"I don't mean to pry, but... Jane looked... concerned before she left. Is there trouble to be expected?" Cora asked.

"No," Eric mumbled. "I... I think I was too hard on her. I'm worried about her, and I don't know how to relax," he said with a guilty smile. "She probably thinks I'm babying her."

"Are you?"

"Probably, but I don't mean to do it," Eric shrugged. "She's my sister, and I worry about sending her into danger. I know she can handle it but..."

"But you care."

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "I keep thinking back to Habitat 7. I remember it so clearly. I can remember what dad felt like when he heard that Jane had been hurt. It was pure panic. Dad was scared, I was scared, and now I feel both our fears."

Cora frowned. "You have to push through, Eric. You have to stay strong," she urged him, grabbing his arm. "You are strong enough. You can do it."

Eric took a deep breath. "You keep saying that."

"It's because I believe it's true," Cora said. "I believe in you, Ryder. I admit that I didn't at first, but now... I believe in you to a hundred percent."

Eric blushed, and he was glad that Cora couldn't see that through their helmets. "Thanks. I appreciate you saying that, and you're the best partner I could ever ask for. Dad was right about you."

"Right about what?" Cora asked curiously. While she had been fairly close to Alec, he'd rarely told her what all her efforts meant.

"He thought you were capable, reliable and efficient," Eric said, and Cora felt glad as well as disappointed over the slightly impersonal traits. Eric gave her a knowing smile. "He also really liked your jokes."

Cora laughed. "I'll remember that," she said.

"My dad had a terrible sense of humor," Eric said teasingly. "Your humor's a bit dry for my taste." He laughed when Cora shoved him in the side. 

"You're lucky you're cute, Ryder," she muttered.

_"Pathfinder, your scanner has picked up Chief Reynolds chest piece,"_  SAM announced.  _"Confirming single shot. Unable to determine weapon type, but entry point was at the back. Exit blast through the chest."_

Eric furrowed his brows. "According to the witnesses, as well as Nilken himself, Nilken was in front of the Chief when he fired," he said. "That means Nilken's shot wasn't the shot that killed him."

_"The Chief's omnitool might shed some light."_

"Hey, look over there," Cora pointed, and Eric looked in the direction she gestured in. "Kaerkyns. Lots of them."

Eric nodded, and they silently agreed to follow the trail. "Just to make things clear," Eric said as they walked, turning his head and flashing Cora a smile. "I think you're cute too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally on vacation. I'm still dealing with leftover stress but I'm recovering. A bit worried about how I did at the final but I think I might be in the clear.  
> Anyway, here's another chapter. gg


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team takes down a kett facility on Eos.

"Alright," Vetra said, peeking her head out from behind the large rock she and the small squad were squatting behind. "The whole thing's protected by a barrier. No way around."

"So we kick in the front door," Drack snorted. "I'm good at that. Let's do that."

Jane giggled. "Even if that's what we're doing, I think we should have more of a plan than just 'show up and kick ass'," she said.

Drack looked amused, and Vetra let out a long sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Focus, please," she said. "Liam, please tell me you're more focused than these two," Vetra said as she turned to Liam.

Liam smiled at her. "For now, at least," he said. "But Jane's right. We need a plan." He peeked out from behind the rock and assessed the situation. "It looks as if the front door is very locked, and heavily guarded. I count seven kett and a turret."

"Leave that turret to me," Jane said.

"And the kett for me," Drack grinned.

"Right," Vetra said. "But we still need to get there before we can do anything. That's an almost open terrain, and moving from cover to cover will take time."

Jane hummed, looking thoughtful. "I have something that might work. It's still a work in progress, a prototype really... but I've been working while I'm taking a break from the Remnant code. It might be able to cloak one of us until they reach the door."

 "We only need one of us to get to the door," Drack said. "And that someone is me."  

"I'm sorry, did you say that you're working on this on your breaks?" Liam asked.

Jane gave a sheepish smile. "Give me a moment to hook it up to your armor, and I'll have you invisible in a jiffy," she said and turned to Drack, bringing her omnitool up and making the right adjustments to the krogan's armor. "I like to tinker when I've got a moment to spare," she explained to Liam as she worked. "Tinkering is how I relax."

"Normal people relax with drinks, or sleep," Liam pointed out.

"Sleep is for the weak," Jane grinned as she finished up and pressed a few buttons on her omnitool. With a flicker of light, Drack disappeared from sight. "It worked!" Jane cheered as loud as she dared without being heard by the kett. 

Vetra stared in disbelief. "That, or you lost our krogan."

"I'm definitely still here," Drack said. It was eerie to hear but not see him. "How long will this thing last, kid?"

"I'm not sure. Two minutes tops, it's feeding off the same energy as your shield, but you should be able to make it there without it shutting down," Jane said. 

Drack chuckled. "Time to kick some kett ass," he said before a trail of krogan footprints moved towards the facility. 

Liam looked thrilled. "It's like talking to SAM, if SAM was an old, angry krogan."

"Right?" Jane smiled, readying her rifle. "Let's take those suckers down."

Vetra and Liam nodded and took their position on either side of Jane. She gave her rifle the time it needed to assemble and loaded it with micro bullets. "One turret," she mumbled, popping her head out from cover and aiming for the machine perched on the building's roof, "going down."

She fired and the turret seemed to spark with electricity before it overloaded and blew up. The kett guarding the entrance of the base readied their weapons but were overrun when Drack suddenly appeared among them, cackling as he fired his shotgun and stomped on fallen kett.

Liam and Vetra moved forward, rushing at whatever kett had moved away from Drack's reach. Jane provided covering fire and moved forward once her squadmates had tackled the last kett to the ground and Drack was stepping on it like a rug.

Vetra checked the door while Liam and Drack made sure the coast was clear. Jane made her way over to them, high fiving Liam when she passed him. 

"I could get this door open, but it'd take me a day," Vetra said. "Jane, we're gonna need your magic touch again."

Jane nodded and immediately began the process of hacking the lock on the door. A kett shuttle approached from the north. Liam pushed Jane in behind some crates and Jane gave him a soft glare before continuing cracking codes.

"Vetra, there's a troop coming from your left," Liam said.

"Not for long."

"That shuttle's mine!" Drack said, reloading his weapon and standing his ground. 

Liam took cover behind a railing, picking off whatever kett Drack didn't turn into much. Vetra was soon by her side, calm as ever and there was no sign of kett from where she'd come. She was mysterious like that and very handy in situations like this.

Looking over his shoulder, Liam spotted Jane working behind the crates. She looked deeply concentrated and pouted as she worked.

Drack defeated the last of the kett just as Jane got the door open. It slid open with a swish. Jane jumped back up to her feet and drew her pistol from her holster. 

"It's open," she said and headed inside.

The facility was crawling with kett and wraiths. Drack seemed to especially love fighting those things. There was a manic look in his eyes whenever he brought one down, and with each kett that fell, Drack seemed to become more energized and trigger happy.

Liam and Jane kept behind Vetra and Drack, who moved like a unit of five despite only being two.

Every now and then, Jane stopped to scan something. She couldn't make heads or tail of most of the tech but after studying both kett and remnant, some things had started to make half a bit of sense.

"There's a console here," she said. "Make sure no one shoots me in the back while I take a look." She put her gun in her holster and started pressing buttons. 

_"Allow me to assist you, Jane Ryder,"_ SAM's voice echoed over the radio.  _"This console appears to be one of several throughout the facility. Deactivating them should prove useful in powering the facility down."_

"Deactivated things can be activated again, SAM."

_"Perhaps sabotage is a more permanent solution."_

"Good thinking."

Jane tapped away on the console and with the help of SAM part of the facility seemed to power down. The shield around the buildings flickered before disappearing entirely with a satisfying surge.

_"There are kett reinforcements incoming."_

"We can see the shuttles, SAM," Liam said. 

Jane stepped away from the console. "Where's the next one?"

_"There are one on the path on your right and one on the path to your left. I would suggest that both are disabled."_

Vetra nodded, stepping forward and offering to take the one on the right. The split up and headed towards the consoles. Drack and Liam fended off the incoming reinforcements. Without the shields up, kett shuttles were free to fly in and drop off more soldiers.

It was warm, and the shield seemed to have also provided the facility with artificial shade and cooling. Now that it was gone, the sun warmed everything and everyone up. Beads of sweat formed on Jane's forehead as she ran towards the console, dodging incoming fire and diving in behind cover.

She got to work on the console and yelped when her shield absorbed a couple of bullets. "I've got your back, kid," Drack grunted as he sped past her and tackled the nearest kett, grabbing it and shoving the alien over the railing. 

"Right console's down!" Vetra announced over the radio.

_"There's a third console back at the entrance."_

"I'm pinned down!" Vetra shouted. "Can't fall back just yet."

"I've got it!" Liam said, retreating back to the entrance.

When the third console was deactivated, the facility seemed to slow down even further and furious curses could be heard over the radio. It sounded suspiciously like kett. Drack laughed when the squad regrouped to push forward. "They're getting scared," he mocked the kett.

Vetra smiled, seemingly getting more and more relaxed. "Then we push forward," she said. 

The squad moved further into the facility. The amount of kett seemed to never end. "I wonder how long the kett have been here," Liam mumbled as they made their way through another building. 

"Another console," Vetra pointed and Liam jogged over to it to deactivate it. The moment he touched it, a siren blared and the squad all covered their ears. "Liam!" Vetra hissed. "What did you do?"

"I barely touched it!" Liam defended himself. "How do you shut it up?"

_"The siren appears to be an alarm. It is sending out signals for reinforcements."_

"That is bad," Jane frowned. "We don't need more kett in here."

_"I detect a console further into the facility, it should turn on the alarms."_

Vetra nodded. "Jane, find that console and turn this shit off. Liam, Drack, you're with me," she ordered and everyone but Jane made a stand by the entrance to the building. There were already shuttles coming in. 

_"Jane, please make your way to the upper floor of the building. Northeast of you there should be a console for you to deactivate."_

Jane was already climbing a crate to try and jump jet her way up to the edge of the second floor. "I'm on it. How does it look? How many guys are they sending?"

_"I can register at least thirteen heat signatures in an incoming shuttle. There are several more shuttles in the area, they are, however, not headed in this direction,"_ SAM explained.  _"I would advice you to turn off the alarm, not to gain their attention."_

"You've got it, SAM."

With a huff, Jane used her jump jet to get to the next floor. She grabbed the ledge and heaved herself up, stumbling towards the console that had a flashing red light on it. The console had very few legible letters and Jane stared desperately at the screen for a few seconds. The interface was somewhat familiar but near impossible to navigate without being native to the language.

"SAM? Is there any way you can help out?" Jane asked, pressing a few buttons to try and do... well, anything.

_"Processing."_

Jane looked out through the nearest window, seeing her squadmates fight off kett. A shuttle had dropped off a number of them, armed to the teeth and shouting angrily at the intruders. "SAM??"

_"Please, use your scanner. It should now work as a translator."_

"Wait," Jane's eyes narrowed. "What did you do to my scanner?"

_"Merely added a translation program. Your other features are still functional."_

"Ah," Jane smiled. "Then let's turn this noisemaker off, yeah?"

With the new translation program, it was easy to turn off the alarm. It slowly faded and she could hear Liam let out an appreciative sigh over the radio. The nose had been very loud but the silence that followed its deactivation was rather eerie. There were few noises other than rattling guns and angry kett, which were anything but good noises.

Jane drew her rifle and settled by the window, providing her squad with covering fire. 

"Anyone call for reinforcements?" Eric's voice sounded over the radio. "Might we offer two more pairs of hands?"

"Yes, please!" Vetra shouted as she ducked in behind a smoking console for cover. "Ryder, get in here!"

"Right!"

Eric and Cora burst in through the entrance to the facility, biotics flaring and guns blazing. Eric darted over to a large kett that was firing at Liam and gave it a shock with his biotic powers. Cora was not far behind, knocking kett over like bowling pins. 

It was little trouble to take down the kett's reinforcements with the help of two very powerful biotics. Jane made her way back down from the second floor of the building and waved at her brother when they regrouped outside on the platform.

"Good to see you, kid. Nice of you to pinch in. You finish homework early?" Drack chuckled, patting Eric on the shoulder.

"I'm a good little Pathfinder. No fun before homework," Eric said with a smile. "How are things going here? We were on our way back to Prodromos when we picked up alarms. What did you guys do?"

Jane immediately stabbed a finger in Liam's direction. "Liam did it."

"I did," Liam admitted with a sheepish smile. "I'm not a hacker like these two," he said and gestured at Jane and Vetra. "Could have gone worse though. I could have blown myself up."

"That would have been bad," Eric nodded. "Well, Vetra. I can see that you're in charge here. Where were you doing before I showed up?"

"Besides clearing this place out? There's a command center further into the facility. Who knows what we can find in there," Vetra said.

Eric nodded. "Tech, intel, maybe some answers... I'm all for it," he said.

Vetra chuckled. "Thought you'd say that," she smiled. "Jane and I will take the lead. If there's a locked door well get through it. The rest of you, group up and watch our backs. Jane, would you like to take point?"

"I'd love to," Jane exchanged her rifle for a handgun, leading the group forward. 

There was little treasure waiting for them further into the command center. All that awaited was another mob of angry kett, and among them, a kett wielding something that resembled biotics. It was, however, no match for the combined force of the Pathfinder team.

Disappointed, but making the best of what she had, Jane walked around the storage room under the facility, collecting whatever tech she could carry. A couple of small firearms, a handful of unidentified parts and something that resembled a tablet.

Her brother stood with his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face when they headed back towards the shuttle and the Nomad parked outside of the facility. "Having fun?" he asked her, nodding at the items in her arms.

"I'm having a blast, and if you're not busy, then stop talking and start gathering stuff!" Jane smiled at her brother, bumping into him with her hip as she passed him. "At least help me carry this."

Eric chuckled and took whatever his sister held in her arms. Jane immediately went back for more things and come back with another set of tablets and what looked to be fuses.

"Ready to head out? The other's are waiting by the shuttle," Eric said as he waited for Jane to catch up.

"Just... wait a moment, Eric. I need to ask you something," she said. "It's important, and I need you to be perfectly honest with me."

"Okay," Eric said. "What's going on?"

Jane huffed. "About before... when it got weird," she began, "I know we're siblings, but you're also my boss now. Do you think I should step down? You know... shape up and... I don't know. Be more professional?"

Eric thought about it for a moment. Technically, it's what and how they should be acting. Despite being siblings, they were also colleagues and Eric was Jane's boss. Eric shook his head. "I don't need more people bowing down. You're my sister, and I need you by my side just as much as I need a coworker."

A happy smile appeared on Jane's face, relief evident in her eyes. "I can do just that," she said. "I'm a pretty good sister if I do say so myself."

"You're right about that," Eric agreed. "But enough about that. Let's head back. I don't like this place, even without kett in it."

"Right," Jane smiled. "I can't wait to dig into these things."

Eric nodded and looked at the things he carried as they walked back towards the exit. "What is it?" he asked.

Shrugging, and giving a sheepish smile, Jane eyed one of the fuse like things she carried. "I've not the slightest idea."

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane realizes something mildly inconvenient, while Eric and Cora have a moment.

Harry knew he was being watched without having to turn around. "Hello, Jane," he murmured as he replied to a message from one of the doctors on Prodromos. They'd settled in nicely, but had trouble with a few spots of lingering radiation. Their primary doctor was asking him for help. "Welcome back. What can I do for you?"

He looked up when Jane placed a steaming cup of coffee on the desk he sat by. She had a cup of her own and smiled down at him. "Thought I'd come and bother you for a while," she said. "What are you working on?"

"Prodromos still have some trouble with radiation poisoning. I'm trying to get them the equipment they need to treat it."

"Doctor Harry Carlyle, Andromeda's hero," Jane smiled.

Harry snorted. "Far from it, but I do try. Is this for me?" He pointed at the cup on the desk.

Jane nodded. "Is there someone else that wants coffee here?" She asked and gestured around the empty office.

"Plenty if you look outside those doors," Harry said and picked the cup up and taking a long sip. "Thank you, that's very kind of you."

Jane smiled and leaned against the wall next to the desk. She was silent and looked out into empty space. She was deep in thought, and Harry wondered what she was thinking about. "Oh," he said suddenly, making Jane snap out of her chain of thoughts and look at him. "How did it go with the code? The remnant mystery?"

"Right," Jane suddenly looked very eager. "I think I'm so close to cracking it," she said. "SAM has been very helpful but also very busy, so I've been on my own for the most part. The function you pointed out, it flags which behavior the current bot should take on. It's assigning tasks, basically."

"Interesting."

"Very. Peebee borrowed some of my codes and put together a remnant bot of her own. It doesn't do much right now but fly around and make cute robot sounds, but it's very impressive."

Jane rambled, and Harry listened patiently. She talked about the possibilities of hacking already active remnant bots, the giant vaults, and the terraforming.

Jane soon noticed that Harry wasn't responding to anything she said, and instead just listened. He watched her with an amused look on his face, and it was clear that she'd been more exuberant than usual. Harry hadn't gotten a word in, mostly because Jane had been going on and on without pausing. Her cheeks turned red. "Wow, Harry. I'm rambling," she said. "You should have stopped me, or tried to at least."

"Why would I? You're excited about your work, and I'm very happy to listen."

"You're just saying that."

"I am not," Harry said. He got up and pulled out another chair. "Please, sit and tell me. I'd love to hear more about what you've been up to." He sat back down and patted the empty seat.

Jane sat down.

They talked for close to an hour. About Eos, and how it had prospered. About the state of the Nexus, and the kett. Jane was in the middle of talking about the facility they'd come across on Eos when her omnitool beeped.

"Sorry," she mumbled, glancing at the display. "Looks like we're taking off in an hour..."

"You should head back," Harry said.

Jane nodded and got up. "Yes, I best be going." She hesitated. "This was really nice, Harry. I hope you don't mind me coming to bother you all the time."

"I don't mind at all. I'm very bad at taking breaks, you help with that a lot," Harry smiled and rose from his seat. "I appreciate the coffee, that was very thoughtful of you."

"I-..." Jane blushed. "If you don't mind... I'd... the next time I come back... perhaps we could do this again?"

"We certainly could."

"Great!" Jane beamed up at the doctor. "I have to go but... I'll be back."

"Promise?"

It was a playful tease, but it had Jane's head spinning. She felt dizzy. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her cheeks felt like they were burning. "I-I promise," she said with a nod.

Harry chuckled. "I'll see you then, Jane. Take care."

She left the medbay quickly, all but jogging back to the tram that would take her to the docking bay. She ran past Liam and Eric on the way, both of them tried to stop her, but neither of them succeeded.

Liam looked at Eric and jutted his thumb at Jane, who disappeared out of sight. "What's with her?" he asked.

"I don't know. She's like that when we leave the Nexus," Eric shrugged. "Do you think we should be worried?"

"I'm only worried to get in her way when she's like that. I'm pretty sure she'd run me over if I stood in her path."

"Good plan," Eric said with a smile. "I'm going to SAM Node. It shouldn't take too long. Could you go and make sure Gil's got everything under control?"

Liam promised to do so, and Eric waved before jogging towards the trams. After watching the Pathfinder disappear out of sight, Liam did as asked, making his way down with the elevator and walking across the pad to board the Tempest.

He could hear rushed steps within the crews quarters. Peeking inside, he spotted Jane pacing back and forth before plopping down on her bunk with a loud sigh. She mumbled something to herself before getting back up and resuming her pacing.

Liam could just barely hold back a chuckle. It looked as if she was trying to wear down the floor, or her shoes.

"Easy, Jane," she mumbled to herself. She came to another stop, leaning her forehead against the side of Liam's bunk. "Out of all people?" she muttered. "You're-" she stopped herself and sighed once more, her shoulders slumping and eyes squeezing shut. "You're okay."

Jane frantically tried to soothe her racing thoughts into calmer ones, but the way Harry made her heart pound, there was only one explanation, even though Jane tried to come up with more. She liked him. More than she should, probably.

But name one person that could help what they felt. Feelings were part of being human, she tried to tell herself. Having feelings for someone was perfectly normal.

But... Harry?

Harry Carlyle had been a friend of the family for years. Harry's had been the last face she'd seen when she was put into cryo-sleep back in the Milky Way, and it was also the first thing she saw when she was thawed. He was handsome and familiar, which Jane needed.

Just the thought of Harry made Jane's stomach buzz with warmth. Frustrated, Jane pushed herself back and tilted her head up to stare at the ceiling. "Whatever am I going to do with you, Harry?" she mumbled.

Harry was kind. Harry was smart. Harry was caring. And Harry genuinely took an interest in what Jane was doing, no matter what it was. While many people did take part of Jane's interest, few people managed to be of interest to her. Harry happened to be one of the few who did.

He was interesting, and Jane would love the chance to coax stories out of him. Harry Carlyle was a man that had achieved everything he could back in the Milky Way and had come to Andromeda to find and do something new. He was older, wiser and more experienced than Jane, which only intrigued her further. There were so many things he knew, but she didn't.

But Harry was older, Jane thought. Too old some would say, but Jane didn't care. Age was a number. To some species, age was irrelevant because their lives were incredibly long, or very short. They should be past this, Jane thought. Age should not matter as much as it did.

She couldn't just go about her life. Jane was a woman who acted on emotion, much like her father. If she had a feeling it was usually right, and if she really wanted something she wouldn't be able to relax until she'd at least tried to get to it.

Liam watched Jane stand and stare at the ceiling for a few moments before deciding that he'd been eavesdropping enough. Jane was clearly having a moment, but he couldn't help but intervene. Perhaps she needed, or wanted, someone to talk to?

"Hey, Jane?" he said softly, stepping into the room.

"Liam!" Jane twisted where she stood, quickly putting on a smile for him. "Hey! What's up?"

Again, Liam couldn't help but let a chuckle escape him. "You look like you could use an ear to talk to," he pointed out. "Trouble at the Nexus?"

Jane blushed, uncertainty ghosting across her face. "Perhaps, uh... I don't know. It's a bit private. I'm sure we both have better things to do."

"You'd be surprised by how much of a good listener I am."

"I know, Liam. But... this isn't..." Jane hesitated, and a frown appeared on her face. "It's complicated. Boy trouble," she muttered.

A pang of disappointment jolted through Liam, but he recovered quickly. "Boy trouble, ey?" he asked. "Well, I admit that I'm not sure if I can help you with that. I can only offer an ear, really."

"Sometimes, that's just what I need, Liam. But not right now. Sorry."

"No worries," Liam shrugged. "I'm going to go and see Gil. If you need me just call and I'll come running."

Jane grinned at him. "I'm sure you will, Liam, and thanks for the offer. I might take you up on that sometime."

Liam smiled, saluted her and then turned and marched out of the room. Jane went to lie down in her bunk, letting her thoughts drift back to Harry Carlyle.

-

_"Losing you isn't an option! The kids aren't going to lose their mother!"_

The words echoed in Eric's head, and he felt sick to his stomach with guilt, desperation, and despair. He wasn't certain which feelings were his and which were his father's.

_"Losing you isn't an option!"_

Eric's throat ached as if it had been he who had said that. His chest was tight and his head filled with thoughts. Sadness overtook him, and suddenly he was in his quarters on the Tempest. He couldn't remember how he got there. He was by his desk, and he turned to the blue orb to his left.

"SAM?" He asked. His voice was coarse and sad.

_"I am here, Pathfinder."_  SAM's voice was comforting.  _"Are you alright, Eric?"_

Eric thought for a moment. "How many memories are there?" He asked. "Do you know how far forward my father has put these memory blocks?"

_"I'm sorry, Eric. I do not know,"_ SAM replied. _"Is there anything air can assist you with?"_ He asked after a few moments of silence.

Eric shook his head. "I don't think there is, SAM. I just need time to process."

_"Understood."_

"Would you mind leaving me alone for a little while?" Eric asked.

_"I will divert my attention. Please, let me know if and when you need me, Eric. I will be here."_

"Thanks, SAM."

Cora stepped up to the door, swiping at her omnitool to open it. It was unlocked, which meant the Pathfinder was available. But as she stepped into the room, it was fairly clear that Eric had just forgotten to lock the door.

The way he sat hunched over his desk with his head in his hands and his eyes squeezed shut was heartbreaking. She knew that Eric wasn't feeling well, he'd told her that. But seeing it for herself was something she hadn't been prepared for. Something in Cora ached when she looked at Eric. Right now, he wasn't the almighty Pathfinder, he was Eric Ryder who had taken on too much work and responsibilities.

She walked up to him, letting the door swish shut behind her. Eric didn't look up, and if that was because he didn't hear her or didn't care, Cora wasn't sure. With as much gentleness as she could muster, she Placer her hand on his shoulder.

Finally, Eric lifted his head and looked up at her. For a moment he looked shocked, as if he hadn't expected it to be her standing there. He pushed himself up from the chair and cleared his throat.

"Cora," he blurted out. "I didn't realize that it was you." He struggled to regain his posture and compose himself.

Cora put her hands on both his shoulders. "Eric," she tried to soothe him. "Don't worry about it."

Eric's shoulders slumped, and he looked as defeated as one could look. "No, I..." Eric frowned and turned away from Cora. Her hands slid off his shoulders. "I don't like people seeing me like this. Jane's the only one who's..." he trailed off, fiddling nervously with his hands. "I don't want you to think less of me."

"Why would I think less of you?"

"I don't know," Eric admitted. He sighed and smothered his hands over his face in frustration. "God, I hate this."

Cora took a step back, nodding at the door. "I could leave if you'd like?"

"No, Cora. Please," Eric fumbled with his words. "I can't... I shouldn't be alone when I'm like this... please don't go."

"I'll stay," Cora said. "Why don't you have a seat? Do you want to talk?"

Eric crossed the room in quick strides and sat down on the couch. "Talking... isn't good," he mumbled. "It's not... it's hard when I'm... sorry."

Cora walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. "That's okay. We don't have to talk about it. Or anything. We can just sit."

Eric nodded. It was a strained movement, and he looked as if he was about to break. Apart or into tears were unclear.

They sat in silence for a while. Eric trembled. He felt bad, having Cora there was simultaneously good and the worst. He didn't want his second-in-command to think he was a wreck, and he wanted to explain himself, but he couldn't get a word out. Eric looked down at his hands, they trembled as if he was freezing. He sucked in a breath, his lungs pinching uncomfortably in his chest.

Hesitantly, Cora reached out and grabbed one of Eric's hands to steady him. Even when she held him he shook, and for a moment Cora was worried that whatever Eric went through was dangerous, but after a few moments Eric slowly stopped shaking, and his breathing evened out into proper breaths.

Eric didn't dare look at Cora. He wasn't sure if she was looking at him. If he met her eyes, he was certain that he might not be able to keep it together. "Thanks," he got out after a while. His voice shaky and silent.

"No problem," Cora cooed back.

"It's... not easy," Eric whispered because Whispers were the only thing he was capable of at the moment. "With SAM, dad transferred not only his authority and abilities but also his memories," he explained. "Occasionally I unlock more of his memories, and I experience them as if they were mine. The memories so far are about my mother... and how she died."

"Oh, Eric..." Cora frowned.

"I remember it through dad's eyes as well as my own. I feel my own sadness as well as my father's. It's... too much sometimes."

Cora scooted closer, squeezing Eric's hand. "You're twice as susceptible to emotion. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like."

"I wish I couldn't," Eric mumbled. "It makes me think. I don't want to go through that. I don't want to lose anyone else. I can't... because I won't make it through it." He shook his head slowly. "Jane is the only one I've got left of my family. And the only ones I know from home are you and Harry."

Slowly, and almost reluctantly, Eric turned his head and looked at Cora. She looked at him and ran her hand over his cheek. Without saying anything, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. A soft and caring gesture. 

Eric didn't say anything, but he closed his eyes, lips pressing together and brows furrowed into a frown. This wasn't the time. "You should go," he said.

Cora nodded. "Okay," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry," Eric said when she got up and walked towards the door.

Cora turned and smiled at him. "Don't be. I will be here. Just... take care of yourself, Eric," she said. "I'll see you later."

With that, she left the Pathfinder's quarters and headed up into the Bio Lab. She closed and locked the door behind her, needing the privacy.

Cora sat down by her desk. She'd been bold, perhaps even intrusive. Eric had had a moment of weakness, and he had needed some sort of comfort and validation. Cora felt for him and cared about him. He was confused and tasked with fixing a galaxy, which is something no one should have to be told to do. It was her job to make sure he could do just that. Her job was to support him and help him carry his burdens.

Although Cora wouldn't admit it to anyone, she cared about Eric more than she thought she'd ever do.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being chased by the kett, the Tempest ends up on Aya.

Something was wrong, Eric could feel it. The way the ship trembled wasn't right and Kallo looked distressed. "We're on a collision course with an unknown object!" Kallo said.

_"Collision is imminent,"_  SAM confirmed.

Eric frantically pressed the buttons on the console before him. "All stop! Now!" He ordered, and Kallo jumped to it.

The Tempest slowed, and Eric braced himself against the console not to fall forward. "Holy-" he gasped, seeing the gigantic ship before them. A kett ship. It was huge, almost as big as the Hyperion and glowed green and blue in the darkness of space. Everyone in the bridge stared at it in fearful awe, and Eric took a step back.

The doors to the bridge slid open, and Jane and Cora came rushing in. "What's going on? Why did we stop?" Cora asked.

"Oh," Jane yelped when she spotted the kett ship. "That's why."

Suvi surveyed the displays before her. "Kett ships," she said. "A dozen... no, more!" Smaller shuttles, shaped like the letter T neared the Tempest, slowly inching closer.

"They've got us backed up against the Scourge," Kallo cursed.

_"They are scanning us, Pathfinder."_

Eric stared at the alien ships in disbelief. "Scan them back!" he ordered SAM. "Is there anything we can do? How are our shields looking?"

"I don't think our shields will be of much help, Eric," Jane admitted.

The bridge suddenly went dark, and the consoles stopped responding. A holographic display projected across the Tempest front. The kett had established a video connection. Eric glared at the creature looking down at him. Its eyes were pale, its nose flat, barely existing and its mouth just a thin line.

"Where is the one who activated the remnant?" the kett asked. "Their DNA signature is there. Answer me!"

"Who are you?" Eric asked.

Jane stood leaned over Suvi's shoulder, trying to unlock the blockage the aliens had put on their navigation system. "They're steering us into their ship!"

"Just tell me what you want," Eric growled, stepping forward again.

The kett looked at him and said nothing a brief moment. "I won't explain what you can't understand."

Eric furrowed his brows.  _"Ryder,"_  SAM's voice echoed on their private channel.  _"I have almost regained control of the ship. I need a few more seconds."_

Eric knew what that meant; keep talking.

He stared into the eyes of the kett. "I know a lot more than you think," he said. "Try and explain, I might understand."

"I won't explain myself to the likes of you," the kett said. "You defy me. Reckless and naive. This day marks the beginning of your greatness."

Just as the kett had finished the Tempest lit back up, controls responding properly. "SAM," Eric stepped up to his console.

_"I have plotted a potential course through the Scourge."_

"Do it!"

Kallo tapped away on his controls, and the Tempest quickly turned and shot away from the kett ships. They flew through the Scourge, dodging the dark clouds and outmaneuvered several of the kett vessels that attempted to follow.

Liam struggled to hold his balance. "Get us out of here!"

The Tempest neared the end of the Scourge, empty space visible between claws of dark energy.  _"It will be tight."_

The small kett ship behind them got caught in the Scourge, veering into it and exploding. Kallo steered the Tempest out of the dangerous maze and let out a victory cheer as they made it out to safety.

For a brief moment, the crew caught their breaths and praised Kallo for saving their lives. Eric, however, looked extremely concerned. "Who the hell was that guy?" he asked.

"Ryder!" Gil's voice sounded over the radio. "We've got trouble down here. You need to find us a port, now!"

"On it," Eric said. "Where are we, Suvi?"

"Our sensors are damaged, but I think we're at the vaults coordinates."

"You think?" Eric couldn't help but chuckle. "Gil, give it what you can. We're setting down."

Jane walked to the back of the bridge. "I'm going to go and help out," she said. She disappeared, and Eric turned his attention back to the navigation system before him. There was a planet in the distance, damaged by the Scourge but they needed somewhere to land, and fast.

As they approached the planet, Suvi noticed foreign ships trying to contact them, and soon a handful of small shuttles were on their tail. "They're trying to contact us."

"We have to land," Eric said. "Open up a comm."

An alien language soon sounded over the comm. Everyone in the bridge exchanged looks, but no one understood what was being said. It sounded like commands, but no one knew how to answer.

Eric looked at Cora before speaking up. "We're visitors from another galaxy," Eric spoke up. "Our intentions are peaceful. Our ship is damaged, and we need a place to land."

It was silent for a few seconds before the alien voice replied and a navpoint was sent to the Tempest. Eric told Kallo to head to it, and they made their way towards the given position. They were followed closely by the alien ships.

As they neared the landing spot, the clouds parted, and a lush city revealed itself. Perched on top of some cliffs, surrounded by colorful plant life and gorgeous waterfalls, it looked like a paradise.

Eric smiled, turning to Cora and Liam. "It's perfect," he said.

They landed on a wide docking platform, and Eric got ready to leave the ship. His entire crew followed and expressed their concerns about him going on his own. He interrupted their protests. "I'm the Pathfinder, first contact is on me. We don't want a repeat of what happened on Habitat 7."

Liam, Cora, and Eric all headed to the back of the Tempest, and when Jane spotted them, she and Gil came running. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where are we? Where are you going?"

"There's a new kind of alien out there. They seem peaceful right now, but I have to go out there and establish contact," Eric explained.

"I'll go with you-"

"No," Eric shook his head. "You stay here. If anything happens, I need you here."

Jane reluctantly stepped back, and Eric gave her shoulder a pat. She drove forward, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Be safe, Eric," she said. Her brother returned the hug before leaving the tempest through the cargo bay's entrance.

There was a group of aliens waiting for Eric on the landing pad. There were almost a dozen of them, all of them armed. Eric rose his arms, and one of the aliens scanned him. They spoke to one another in an odd language and then gestured for Eric to follow.

They lead towards the gates where more of the aliens waited. However, these were not as heavily armed, and neither of them covered their faces. The aliens were colorful, with large eyes and curved legs. For a moment Eric was mesmerized by them until the one in the middle spoke up.

"I'm Paaran Shie," she said. "Governor of Aya. We are the angara."

Eric bowed his head in a greeting. "Hello," he said. "I'm Eric Ryder, a Pathfinder with the Initiative."

"Yes. You crossed darkspace. I've heard of your journey," Paaran nodded. Another one of the angara, a tall male with pink skin and a large scar on the side of his head walked down the small set of stairs towards Eric. "Jaal," Paaran said. "I have this in hand."

"Evfra saw the ship come in and sent me to find out what's going on," Jaal said. He walked towards Eric, glaring at him as he neared him.

"He's a human from another galaxy. Eric Ryder, a Pathfinder," Paaran explained.

Jaal stepped even closer. Staring down at Eric, studying him with two blue eyes. He hummed thoughtfully. "Aya is hidden," he said at last. "Aya is protected. What do you want?"

"We had a run in with the kett. Our only escape was to traverse through the Scourge. Our ship was damaged, and we needed somewhere to land. We didn't know what we would find here, but if you're willing to share what you know, then so are we."

For a moment, Jaal looked amused. "There's honesty in your voice, and honesty is a good start," he said with a nod. He eyed Eric once again before turning and walking back up the stairs. "I'll inform Evfra. He'll be waiting in his office at the Resistance Headquarters. I'll meet you there." He walked past Paaran, who gave Jaal a sideways glance before turning back to Eric.

"I will accompany you through the city," she said. "Your crew will stay on your ship. Follow me." As instructed, Eric walked up the stairs and followed Paaran. "Follow me closely. Don't try and explore the city or interact with anyone. Evfra's guards will use force if necessary."

"It won't be necessary," Eric assured her. "I'll do as you ask."

Paaran gave a firm nod. "Good." She turned and began walking, Eric followed.

"May I ask you a few questions?"

"I suppose that would be all right," Paaran said as they walked.

"If you're the governor, then why do I have to see this 'Evfra'?" Eric asked.

Paaran didn't turn around when she replied. "He's the leader of the resistance. They fight the kett, and protect us."

Angaran guards lined the paths they walked on, keeping their eyes on Eric and holding their weapons ready. Eric tried not to look at them too much. Civilian angara had started to gather in crowds to see what was going on. He could hear them speak of him. Many were frightened, some were not. Most were untrusting.

_"I detect unusual levels of electrostatic energy in the angara,"_ SAM's voice sounded in Eric's head.

Eric didn't reply and silently followed Paaran. As he followed her, he looked around. Aya was beautiful. The air was fresh, the weather pleasant and the sky above clear. There were habitable places in Helius. The sight of Aya made Eric very hopeful.

He overheard a few angaran speaking to the guards, demanding that Eric was to be put away. Eric turned to Paaran. "Am I that intimidating?" he asked.

"You are an outsider that has invaded our home. We know nothing about you," Paaran pointed out.

"I'm sorry," Eric said. "I don't want to cause trouble."

"Then keep moving."

_"None of the local flora registers in my files. We've encountered an undiscovered ecosystem."_

"Your city is beautiful," Eric said. "It's... I have no words."

"Thank you," Paaran said, a hint of surprise in her voice. "You are the first outside to see it."

Eric nodded. "I'm honored."

They soon arrived at the Resistance Highquarters. They stopped outside. "Um," Eric mumbled when Paaran turned to him. "What happens if Evfra doesn't like me?" He asked.

"He won't," Paaran said. "But you need to earn his trust."

"I understand," Eric said. "He's responsible for everyone's safety, and I know what that's like. Perhaps we can find common ground?" he suggested. "I will prove to him, and to you that our intentions are peaceful."

Eric was let into the Highquarters. On his way in he was passed by an angara that looked very suspicious. Eric gave him a slight nod before walking towards Jaal, who was waiting not that far away. He had a weapon in one hand, a large rifle that looked strangely like a kett weapon.

"Our experience with the kett makes us naturally distrustful of all aliens," Jaal said once Eric stood before him.

Eric nodded. "Understood. We've had our own run-ins with the kett."

Jaal was silent for a short moment. "Then you really do understand," he mumbled. "When the Archon came to Helius he demolished out sovereign state, took what he wanted as if we were nothing. Now the kett mercilessly abduct angara. Often we never see out people again." He flashed Eric a quick and slightly strained smile. "Come this way. Evfra's waiting." He turned and walked.

Eric quickly followed. "Wait. Jaal, was it? The kett kidnap angara?" he asked.

"Yes," Jaal said, walking with his weapon held high. "And the resistance fights them every day, with everything we can."

"Do you know what they are after?"

"You should save your questions for Evfra," Jaal said, and Eric swore that Jaal looked amused as well as cautious.

They walked into what looked to be a tactics center. Large screens with information, maps, and images were all around the room, and several angara were all busying themselves with datapads, and consoles. Eric spotted who he assumed to be the leader on the far side of the room.

"Kadara be damned! I won't lose Voeld!" The leader cursed.

"Evfra," Jaal said, catching the attention of the resistance leader. "This is one of the aliens from the Milky Way, a Pathfinder."

Evfra turned slowly to face Eric. "Pathfinder," he said. "It's an aggressive move coming to Aya."

Eric nodded. "I know, and I apologize. We got chased by kett and had to fly through the Scourge. Our ship was damaged, and we needed a place to land. We mean no harm," he explained. "We are looking for a home, we have thousands of people starving, and the kett doesn't make things any easier."

Evfra grimaced, trouble with kett was something that he understood. "Of course, I feel for you and your people," he said. "But why, Pathfinder, are you here?"

"On a hostile planet we call Eos, I explored an ancient structure... a 'vault' that I brought back online. It stabilized that planet's environment and showed us that it is one node in a bigger network. One of the nodes that were already active was Aya."

"Remnant," Jaal mumbled. "Recent intelligence support that claim."

Eric nodded slowly. "If the network really is there, then I need to look within Aya's vault. But..." Eric took a deep breath and looked Evfra in the eyes. "Aya is your planet. We came here uninvited, and I have been told that your trust has to be earned."

"You are right," Evfra confirmed. "And it is not earned easily."

"Please," Eric said. "Let me try and prove myself. Our people could coexist in peace."

Evfra thought for a moment before turning away and walking towards the nearest window. "You are right about that vault. There is one on Aya, but it has been sealed and the entrance hidden." He turned back to Eric with a grim look. "We can't help you," he admitted.

Disappointment flooded through Eric, and his brain jumped straight to thinking of different solutions before drifting back to peace with the angara. Vault or no vault, they needed the angara's help with other things.

"The Moshae could help," Jaal said. "She's our most revered scientist and elder. She knows this vault."

"But now the kett have her," Evfra spat. "And our rescue attempts failed." He turned again and stepped up to Jaal, eyes stern and angry. "She is lost to us, and you."

The two angara seemed occupied with glaring at one another, but Eric knew he had to interfere. "Perhaps, we could help you? You are the resistance, pushing the kett back, are you not? Let me and my people help where we can. If we work together, we will be able to do more."

"Arrogant," Evfra muttered. "I don't know you, let alone trust you. Why would I want your help?"

Eric took a step back, realizing that he should not push.

Jaal looked at Eric, a studying gaze, before he turned to his fellow angara again. "Evfra, I feel..." he sighed and shook his head. "What this alien says is extraordinary. The Moshae would want us to be brave, and not let this chance pass."

"Jaal," Evfra sighed. "You talk too much."

"Let me assess the alien. I'll be your eyes. I know you can spare me."

Evfra grimaced again. "Go if you want. But when he tries to kill you, be prepared to strike first," he said before walking off.

Jaal and Eric looked at one another. "I'm Jaal Ama Darav. I'll be your envoy through angaran space," Jaal said.

"Thank you," Eric said. "I appreciate this."

Eric stretched out a hand for Jaal to shake but the angara seemed confused, almost annoyed by the gesture before stretching his own hand out. When Eric tried to take his hand, Jaal grabbed him by the arm and guided it to Eric's chest. It was an unfamiliar gesture, but Eric copied whatever Jaal did, and Jaal looked pleased as well a bit concerned. "I hope I don't regret this," Jaal mumbled.

"Me too," Eric said.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric and Jaal return to the Tempest. Eric takes charge and Jane sends Harry a message.

Jane slung her arms around her brother the moment he stepped back into the Tempest's cargo bay. "Eric," she sighed in relief. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Eric returned the hug, relishing the warmth of Jane's embrace and the sense of home she gave off. "I'm okay, Jane," he said, burying his face in her soft brown hair. He looked back up, eyes narrowing at the sound of a scanner behind his back. "Jane," he grunted, pushing her away.

She flashed him a sheepish smile and turned her scanner off. "Just making sure," she said. Then her eyes seemed to land on the boarding the ship and taking place behind Eric. "Who's this?" She asked.

"This is Jaal Ama Darav," Eric introduced Jaal. "He's an angara and will accompany us from now on." Eric turned to Jaal and gestured at Jane. "Jaal, this is my sister Jane Ryder."

"Nice to meet you, Jaal," Jane said, extending a hand for Jaal to shake.

With much hesitation, Jaal reached out and took her hand. His face became baffled when Jane shook his hand. "Nice to meet you?" he said. "Ryder sibling?"

"Yeah," Jane nodded. "Welcome aboard. Let me show you around... unless you'd like to tour the ship alone?"

Jaal shook his head. "Please," he said, gesturing for Jane to take the lead.

Eric watched Jane disappear with Jaal in tow. She pointed and explained what and where everything on the ship was. The doors behind Eric closed, and he let out a long breath. Cora came through the doors of the cargo bay, jogging towards him.

"Pathfinder," she said. "You're okay."

"I'm okay," Eric nodded. "And I've offered the angara our help."

Cora nodded. "I saw our... visitor. I take it you'll introduce him when we've left?"

"Of course," Eric nodded. "I'll explain everything in the meeting room once we're off the planet."

With a smile, Cora visibly relaxed. "Very well," she said. "I think I'll disappear until then. And Eric..." her smile grew into a warmer, more genuine one. "I'm glad you're okay."

-

The crew all had mixed opinions about Eric's meeting with the angara. For several minutes they had been arguing back and forth about whether it was a successful first meeting or not. Peebee was upset that she hadn't been able to explore the city, Cora and Liam were concerned that the meeting hadn't gone quite so smoothly as they'd hoped and the rest of the crew were relatively silent.

"I wanted to have a look around! What happened?" Peebee asked.

"And now we have another mouth to feed. Whatever he eats," Drack muttered, and the crew turned to look at Jaal, who was seated on one of the couches behind them. He watched silently as the crew of the Tempest argued.

Eric rose a hand, and everyone silenced down.

"Enough bickering," he said. "I know this isn't what anyone expected. We didn't anticipate the kett cornering us, and we didn't know that we were going to make contact with another species today, but we need to focus. There are Pathfinder protocols to be followed, and I intend to do so."

"Ryder," Cora spoke up. "We followed our best lead here, and now we don't even have that."

"We still have the lead, but there are things we have to do before that now," Eric said.

"He's right," Jane nodded. "We have to help the angara! If we help them, they might, in turn, help us."

"Might isn't exactly reassuring," Vetra pointed out.

"It's what we've got," Eric said. "We're helping the angara, period." He looked around, making sure to look at every single one in his crew. "Jaal has offered to help us access the vault on Aya, but we can't do that without the help of their elder, and she's been kidnapped by kett."

Liam crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "Ryder's right. Let's hear that the new guy has to say."

Jaal looked at the crew before rising from his seat. "One day about eighty years ago, the Archon and the kett arrived in Helius, and the horror began," he said and walked up to the table, standing between the Ryder twins.

"They declared war?" Vetra asked.

"Nothing so easy to define or fight," Jaal shook his head.

"The kett kidnap angara," Eric said. "They disappear without a trace. What if that was us? What if it was our people that disappeared?" he asked.

"I'll fight kett all day long," Drack said. "But it isn't a plan."

"I think we should focus on the vault," Peebee said.

Eric sighed. "No," he said. "We can't focus on the vault yet. We don't have access. We need to win the angara's trust. We need their help, and to get it we need to help them first. We are the strangers here. We are the unknown." He gave his crew a stern look. "We can't be everywhere at once, but I say we acquire what help we can to make the later processes easier for everyone." He turned to Jaal. "Jaal, what can we do to help out?"

Jaal nodded and looked at the rest of the crew. "The Resistance is stretched thin. I was tasked with traveling to two of our worlds at our briefing this morning, and you will accompany me."

"Right," Liam said.

"I agree with my brother," Jane said. "It's a start, and we need to start somewhere. What are these two worlds, Jaal?"

"Havarl, and Voeld," Jaal said. Eric brought up two holographic models before them. "Before the Scourge disaster Voeld was a thriving planet of billions, a shining center of technology and life," Jaal explained. "Now it's the center of our ground war with the kett. Our Resistance base is fighting Kett Command for control of the planet."

"What about the other?"

"Havarl is the birthplace of the angara. It's started to degrade, to become wild and dangerous. We suspect Remnant."

That seemed to catch Peebee's interest. "Now we're talking," she said with a smile.

Jaal continued, "We've recently lost contact with our scientists."

"It's your call, Pathfinder."

"It is," Eric said. "I'll take what you've all said into consideration, but ultimately, I will do what I think is best for everyone and our future in Helius. Dismissed."

The crew started to leave the meeting room, leaving the twins, Jaal and Cora around the table. "You're getting tough," Jane said, nudging her brother in the side. "You're starting to sound like dad."

Eric smiled at her. "I do try," he admitted. He looked at their new angaran crew member and smiled. "Please, Jaal. Make yourself at home, and ask if there's anything you're wondering about."

"I will keep that in mind, Pathfinder Ryder," Jaal nodded. "I will provide your pilot with the navpoints to the planets and then retreat to the... tech lab." Jaal looked at the two twins before leaving.

Jane gave her brother a wide grin when Jaal had left. "I like him," she said. "Bet he's got a knack for tech."

"I bet," Eric smiled softly. "Now, if you don't mind. I'd like to discuss what just happened with Cora."

"Sure," Jane nodded. "Good job today, Eric. I'll see you later."

Sneaking down to the tech lab, Jane decided to bother their new crewmember for a while. She peeked into the room, half hiding behind the doorframe as she watched the angara on as he had a look around the lab. 

Jaal seemed very interested in the many tools and pieces of equipment he saw and didn't hesitate to pick things up and have a closer look. Jane liked that, someone straightforward. She stepped into the room, putting on her best smile. "Hello," she chirped, making Jaal twirl on the spot to look at her.

"Sibling Ryder."

"Jane," Jane corrected him with a chuckle. "But close enough," she waved her hand dismissively. "You like tech?" she asked, almost eagerly. 

Jaal noticed and seemed to hesitate, uncertain whether or not he should try and match her enthusiastic energy. "I do, yes," he said. "It... give me some peace. I like to tinker," he confessed.

With a smile as bright as a light, Jane stepped closer. "I do too!" She said. "Remnant and kett, mostly. I don't understand half of it, but I'm sure I'll get there."

"I suppose so," Jaal mumbled. "The kett have some... interesting items tech-wise. And I'm up for learning more about it."

"Perhaps we could work together with that?" Jane suggested. "If you'd like, that is. I'm more than happy to share what I've learned. Mostly remnant, actually."

Deciding to participate with a bit more excitement, Jaal flashed her a careful smile. "I'd love to have a look, Jane Ryder... and thank you, for making me feel welcome."

"You're very welcome, Jaal. Welcome to the Tempest."

They chatted for a while, and when they didn't talk, they let the technology speak for itself. Jane didn't have to explain much to Jaal, he was a natural and picked up on things much faster than Jane had done. A little jealous, but mostly impressed, Jane watched Jaal pick apart one of the kett weapons before putting it back together.

Jane's curious nature was refreshing to Jaal. She asked a lot of questions, mostly about what they were currently doing but here and there she asked him about the angara. Jaal answered what he could and what he felt comfortable sharing. If he didn't know better, he could have mistaken her for a young child, curious and gifted with intelligence concerning tech. She spoke much, and quickly as she worked.

"Like this?"

Jaal turned his head and had a look at Jane's work. She was trying to learn how to deconstruct and reassemble one of the kett weapons. It appeared as if she'd left a couple of parts out.

"I believe you've missed something," he pointed out.

Jane chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed that when it seemed too easy. Where does this go again?"

She reminded him of one of his younger siblings. Careless but well-meaning. "It goes under the hammer," he pointed. "Try again."

-

_Harry._

_We've_ _run_ _into alien_ _life, and_ _it's_ _not kett!_ _They're_ _called angara and are native to Helius. So far_ _they seem_ _peaceful, and if we play our cards right, we might gain some allies against the kett. And God knows we could use all the help we can get._

_One of them, Jaal Ama Darav, has joined our crew and we are on our way back to the_ _Nexus_ _before we_ _take off_ _to help the_ _angaran_ _resistance_ _further_ _into_ _the system_ _._ _You'll_ _love him._ _He's_ _a tech freak too, and even you'd be rolling your eye at how Lexi's been sweet-talking him about medical exams. If she didn't make go-go eyes at Drack all the time, then Jaal would definitely be an interest._

_There's_ _so much_ _I'd_ _like to tell you. About the angara, about Eos and, well, everything. You know how_ _I_ _get once_ _I_ _start talking._

_Anyway, be ready for a long break when we land because_ _I'm_ _coming straight for the medbay!_

_See you soon!_

_Jane_ _Ryder_.

Harry smiled fondly at the message displayed on the screen. Jane didn't have to send him messages of the Pathfinder team's progress, most of it was covered in reports and on the Nexus' news board, but Jane would personally write him a message to tell him what was going on.

It gave him a more personal understanding of what was happening, a peek into the crew's wellbeing, and Harry was happy to be included despite he technically lacked the authority now that he'd resigned from the team.

He'd gotten messages from both Ryder twins. Mostly from Jane, but there had been one or two small messages from Eric, asking for advice or to report where he was in his recovery.

The twins seemed to have very different views of him. While Jane treated him more casually, like a friend, Eric was more professional yet respectful. It was clear that Harry was someone Eric looked up to, and Harry had caught Jane admiring him many times as he worked. He supposed that he was a familiarity that the twins needed. He had, after all, known them for a while and he'd told them back in the Milky Way that he'd look after both them and their father.

A flash of hurt jolted through Harry as he thought about Alec. Lost too soon.

If he'd only been quicker. If he'd been more prepared, then maybe he would have been able to save Alec too.

Harry shook his head. Blaming himself was useless, and if he hadn't tended to Jane as he had done, she would have been dead, perhaps even Eric had perished if Harry had put his attention on Alec. Harry couldn't do that. He'd promised Alec, sworn on the stars that he'd look after Alec's children however he could.

Shaking the heavy feelings off, Harry shifted in his seat and began writing a reply to Jane.

_Jane,_

_I'm sure_ _we'll_ _have lots_ _to_ _talk about, and_ _I'll_ _make sure to clear my schedule_ _for when_ _you arrive. And_ _this time_ _, the coffee will be on me._

_You'll_ _have to tell me everything about the angara._ _I've_ _only heard_ _rumors_ _. It seems the exiles have already made contact with them._ _Let's_ _hope they won't start a war with every new species we meet_ _here._

_It sounds like_ _you_ _and Jaal are getting along well._ _I'd_ _be honored to meet him. Do you think_ _it'd_ _be possible to get a session with him? Who knows how the angara differs from us? Or better yet, how_ _similar_ _we are?_

_But we will see when the time comes. I'd hate to be another doctor pining over samples from a new species. I'd much rather pine after something I know I can get my hands on._

_Waiting for_ _your return_ _._

_Yours truly,_

_Harry Carlyle._

Signing the message was close to useless. His message ID would be one of the first things Jane would see, even before opening the message, but signing his name at the bottom was a habit that was hard to break.

Harry was looking forward to meeting Jane. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he missed her when she wasn't there. She was excellent company. Her talkative side slotted nicely with Harry's preference for listening. 

He didn't make it a habit to talk about Jane all the time. But lately, she'd been brought up more times than he'd meant to. Most of those times it was someone asking about her treatment after the situation on Habitat 7, but Harry had a way of straying from that topic. Mostly because he'd prefer not to think about it. It had been rather traumatizing. 

Realizing his thoughts were drifting again, Harry quickly reviewed his message before pressing send.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric introduces Jaal to the Nexus, and Jane helps out in the med bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been forever. I'm sorry. I'm trying to have a nice summer vacation but there's so much to do and writing takes time I do not have.

"It does look impressive," Jaal admitted when they neared the Nexus. He stood beside Eric as Kallo navigated into the Nexus' docking bay and set the ship down with a soft thud. "What was it you called it? Nexus?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded. "You're welcome here, but... as much as I hate to say it, you're going to have to go through some security before you get access to the whole station." Jaal didn't look very concerned, which made things easier for Eric. "I'll accompany if you'd like, or I could ask someone else in the crew to go with you?"

Jaal pursed his lips in a thoughtful expression. "Perhaps, you could?" He suggested. "You are the Pathfinder, and I'm certain you should be there to answer questions I should not answer."

"Questions you shouldn't answer?" Eric asked with a frown. "What would those questions be?"

Shrugging, Jaal slowly started making his way back to the Tempest's cargo bay. Eric followed. "What help we've offered you. The angara is not very fond of the Milky Way species."

Eric quickly shook his head. "Please, Jaal. I would much rather have you be honest. These people need hope, yes, but they have to realize that alliances and peace require work and understanding."

"You are very practical, Pathfinder Ryder. It's... good to see. It's reassuring."

"What can I say?" Eric grinned. "I'd say I'm growing into the Pathfinder boots nicely."

They entered the cargo bay and spotted Jane, standing by the shuttle door, eagerly waiting for it to open. She stared intently at the door, waiting for Kallo to open it, and all but vibrating as she waited. She looked like a racecar ready to take off. 

Eric smiled at her when they approached her. "What's the big rush?"

"I haven't started rushing yet," Jane said with an impatient smile. "I just have places to be, that's all."

"Oh?" Eric arched an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her. "So important you have to run off the moment we land?"

"Yup," came Jane's short answer. "It's extremely important, don't come looking for me. I'll be very busy with... uh..." she thought for a moment, tapping her foot against the floor. "Things... uh... stuff, you know." She swatted a hand at her brother as if to try and relieve some of the worries that had settled on his face.

"You aren't getting into trouble are you?" he asked.

Jane chuckled. "If there were trouble, I'd take you with me. You know that," she assured him and flashed him that smile that always calmed his nerves. A genuine sisterly smile. 

Eric nodded and reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze, but before he had time to do so, the doors opened, and Jane darted down the ramp, jumping off of it before it had settled properly and disappeared into the elevator on the other side of the docks. "Just be careful," Eric mumbled to himself.

Drack and Liam exited the back room of the cargo bay just as the ramp settled. "Jane's already gone?" Liam asked. "Are we even properly docked?"

"She was in a hurry," Eric shrugged.

"No kidding," Drack muttered. "Thought she'd swallowed a battery or something, the way she stood here and charged her exit."

"Take it from someone who has a lot of sisters," Jaal said. "I've seen this before, and you don't have to worry, Pathfinder. It's very common."

"I'm not certain I want to know," Eric mumbled. "But let's not worry about Jane right now. She can only get herself in so much trouble, and I'm sure she'll at least try and stay on the straight and narrow... right now, at least," he said. "Jaal, let's get through some protocols."

Eric did, as promised, follow Jaal as he went through all the Nexus' protocols for new arrivals. Despite the curious looks and whispers, Jaal appeared to be indifferent. Either he didn't care, or he had a fantastic poker face. Eric made a mental note to mention that to Gil.

Once Jaal had the proper papers and was written as an official member of the Pathfinder team, he and Eric started on their way towards the tram that would take them to Operations. Eric needed a word with Tann, and he was certain that Addison would be there to nag at him. The woman had an ability to show up and ruin Eric's day whenever he was there.

Tann was, as Eric had gotten used to seeing him, delighted to see him and Jaal. Eric's work as a Pathfinder had done Tann very well and instead of the small cupboard of an office, there was now an entire hall for him to work in. 

"Pathfinder!" Tann greeted Eric. "There you are! I heard you docked, and I was hoping you'd come to see me."

"It's good to see you too, director," Eric said. "May I introduce Jaal Ama Darav?" he gestured to Jaal, who gave a courteous bow of the head.

"The angara, yes!" Tann said. "Pleasure to meet you. Happening upon the angara is truly one of the best things that have happened to us since we arrived. We're very happy to have you here."

Eric smiled as Tann went into a grand speech about how eager he was to form an alliance with the angara. There was hope, he thought and was just about to open his mouth to speak when the door slid open, and Addison stepped into the hall. Eric's smile fell, and Jaal noticed, narrowing his eyes at the woman who made her way up to them.

"Eric," she greeted Eric coldly. 

"Pathfinder," Eric corrected her grimly.

Addison ignored that. "I saw the Tempest land, and I thought I would find you here," she said and turned to Jaal. "You must be the new addition to the Pathfinder team I've heard about. Has Eric taken you through the immigration office yet?"

Jaal's eyes stayed narrowed as he eyed Addison. "The Pathfinder has been most helpful and followed protocol. I feel... very welcome."

"That's a relief to hear. So he can follow orders after all."

Tann slowly took a step back, and Eric glowered at her, hands clenched into fists. He was not in the mood to deal with Addison. She hadn't been in the room for two minutes, and she'd already insulted him. 

"I was under the impression that Pathfinder Ryder was in charge," Jaal said.

"He said so?" Addison asked, glaring at Eric.

"He has not. But our people value those who act, rather than bark."

It was nice to have support for once. But Eric knew that Addison wasn't going to back down just yet. It was too early for that. She wouldn't admit defeat just yet. "Well, Eric's not in charge here. He may have a fancy ship and title, but there are people above him. That he would do well to remember," she added with another glare in Eric's direction.

Eric repressed a sigh and dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands to try and remain in control. He could feel his biotics bubbling at the tips of his fingers. It would have been so easy to fling Addison across the room. He was certain she'd make a nice dent on Tann's desk.

"Who could ever forget you, director?" he asked smiling a smile that looked more like a snarl than a smile. 

"I'm certain we have other things to discuss," Tann quickly butted into the conversation. "Pathfinder, please tell us more about the encounter with the angara, and Jaal, I'd very much like to hear the angrara's view on us as well."

Jaal glanced at Eric. "The angara... have... difficulties trusting other species. We've not had new visitors since the kett arrived," he said. 

Tann frowned. "I see. The kett are a pain in the neck."

"However, Pathfinder Ryder has offered help to the angara and our resistance against the kett, which is very welcome," Jaal continued. 

"What?" Addison interrupted. "Eric, you know we are in no position to put our resources to anything besides settling Helius." She turned to Jaal. "Unless you can offer something back, then we cannot help you."

"For the love of God, Addison," Eric snarled. "Do you really have to disapprove of every decision I make?" he asked.

"When you make foolish decisions I'm left to clean up messes."

"There has been no mess for you to clean up!" Eric shouted, finally losing his cool. "I have taken over the majorities of your responsibilities because you refuse to bear them!" He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down but failing miserably. "I offered our help to the angara because they need it, and we need them. We are not going to get anywhere by making enemies! We need allies!"

"We have to look out for our own," Addison persisted. "We don't know the angara. We don't know if we can trust them yet!"

Eric stared at her for a moment, barely being able to believe how stubborn the woman was. "Can you hear yourself when you speak?" he asked. "I am helping the angara, and you can't stop me."

"I can and I will if I have to. I could have that ship taken away from you in an instant."

"Go ahead!" Eric shouted. "Take it! I don't care! I'll get right out of your hair and bunk with the exiles instead! They must be more reasonable than you! They are apparently already working with the angara!"

Addison and Eric glared at one another, the air between them electric and filled with little sparks of Eric's biotics. "Pathfinder," Jaal put a hand on Eric's shoulder. 

Eric quickly calmed down and gave Jaal an apologetic look. "Sorry, Jaal. You're a guest here. You shouldn't have to listen to useless yelling."

"You are impossible, Eric." Addison shook her head. "Your father would never make a scene like this."

Just as quickly as he'd calmed down, Eric flared back up. "Stop bringing up my father!"

The door slid open again, and Cora stepped inside, eyes immediately finding Eric. "Pathfinder," she said. "You're needed in SAM node, at once," she said. "Jaal, you too." 

"I am not done speaking with you," Addison said when Eric walked past her to leave. 

"I am quite done speaking with you," Eric muttered. "Unlike you, I have important work to do." He didn't linger to listen if Addison had an answer to that, she most likely did, but Eric didn't want to hear it. He walked past Cora with Jaal tailing behind him, heading for the tram.

It wasn't until he had sunk into one of the seats in the tram shuttle that he had calmed down enough to breathe properly again. "Are you alright, Eric?" Cora asked softly. 

"I absolutely hate that woman," Eric sighed. "I can't stand her. I know she is my boss, but I can't stand the way she speaks to me."

"Is this your leadership?" Jaal asked. "It's a miracle you're still here, then."

"Yeah? Say that to half the population, which got exiled because they didn't agree with her," Eric growled.

Cora sat down next to him and put her hand on his knee. "Eric, calm down. You're out of there now. Forget her for a while, will you?"

Eric nodded, sucking in another deep breath to try and clear his head of any thoughts of Addison. "What's happening in SAM node?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

With a soft smile, Cora shook her head.  _"I asked her to intervene, Ryder. I hope you do not mind,"_ SAM's voice echoed over their comms.  _"Given the situation and your previous dealings with director Addison, I thought it best to give you room to breathe."_

"Thank you, SAM," Eric said. 

_"You are welcome."_

"Let's take the rest of the day off," Cora suggested. "Jaal, I'm sure you'd like a tour of the Nexus, and Eric here could use a break. How does that sound?"

Jaal gave a gentle smile, seating himself next to Eric. "That sounds like a good idea right now."

-

"It was terrifying! Just imagine him all alone in a city full of aliens we've just run into! I thought he was done for. I've never been so worried in my entire life." Jane gestured wildly as she spoke, and described the Angara.

Harry smiled fondly at her description. Apparently, the angara looked like 'colorful aliens with hoodies that are actually part of their heads'.

"I'm glad Eric is okay," Harry said when Jane stopped to catch her breath and take a sip of coffee.

"Yes, he did great too. I'm so proud of him." Jane looked thoughtful, and pulled her feet up from the floor, resting her heels on the edge of her seat, pulling her knees to her chest. "Aya's so beautiful... it really... makes me happy. This place isn't all bad. We can live here if we find the right place."

"That's very comforting to hear," Harry admitted. "I don't mind the Hyperion, nor the Nexus... but it'd be nice to settle on solid ground."

Jane agreed, nodding slowly. "Harry," she said and turned her head to look at the doctor. "If we do find a paradise planet... would you settle down there?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I suppose I would one day," he said. "I love my work, and I don't exactly plan on retiring anytime soon, even though my friends joke about it. In the future, I'd like to settle down for some peace and quiet." He smiled at Jane. "What about yourself?"

"I'm not really done exploring," she said. "But I miss having a home to return to."

"I understand," Harry nodded. "All in due time, of course."

"Time." Jane's eyes darted to the nearest display to check the time. It was just after midnight if there was a midnight in space. The office was silent, and the door was open. The medbay outside laid empty. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I went on for so long."

"You don't have to apologize, I'm happy to have you here, Jane."

"I'm... very happy to be here, Harry."

Jane thought for a moment. It was nice to be alone with Harry, to have him to herself while they didn't have to worry about time. They could stay up all night should they wish to. Of course, there would be a price to pay in the morning, but Jane was willing to deal with that then, and so was Harry.

She opened her mouth, a rush of confidence and a swell of happiness welling up within her. "Harry, I just want you to know-"

The doors to the medbay slid open, and two men rushed inside, carrying a third. "Help!" One of them shouted. "We need a doctor! Help!"

Harry was up on his feet within a second and rushed out of the office to see what was going on. Jane was right behind him. The man being carried looked worse for wear, he had a deep cut in his side, and blood oozed from the open wound.

"What happened?" Harry asked as he pointed to the nearest bed. "Put him here, please."

"We were doing repairs on a shuttle, Johan welded together the roof when he fell and landed in the pile of metal scraps," one of the men explained. "We rushed him here as fast as we could."

Harry nodded and grabbed Jane's hand. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, Harry's closeness and the sight of blood making her head spin. "Jane, I need your help," Harry said and pulled her over to the bed. "I need you to keep pressure here. Press down as hard as you can." He looked at her and Jane nodded firmly.

"I'll do what I can. You tell me what you need," she said.

With a nod, Harry guided her hand to Johan's wound, and Jane pressed down. She gulped when blood gushed out of the cut. "Keep pressure on it, do not ease up until I tell you to," Harry told her.

Jane could only nod and bring her free hand to support the other.

Harry ran around the medbay, prepping equipment and bringing out supplies. He was in his element and worked well in situations like this. Years in specialized teams had taught him to keep his head cool.

John groaned in pain and Jane gently hushed at him. "It's going to be okay, you'll be okay," she tried to soothe him. "Dr. Carlyle will patch you up, and you'll be as good as new."

His friends were by his side, mumbling words of comfort.

Harry came back, with an odd-looking tool in his hand and took a look at the wound. "It looks much worse than it is," he said, sounding relieved. "I have to clean it up before I do anything else, and it might sting a bit," he explained. "Please, bear with me." He smiled at John, who nodded. "Jane, I need you to switch places with me. When I tell you, let go and step aside, please."

"Yes, sir," Jane replied out of habit. Orders were orders.

"Right," Harry moved to stand behind her. "Move."

Jane slid to the side, taking her hands off the wound and Harry swiftly took her place, pressing three fingers to the cut, effectively stopping the blood from gushing out. Johan grunted and sank his teeth into his lip.

Harry removed his hand and activated the odd tool. It looked similar to an omnitool but was attached to a metal rod. It projected a thin ray that covered the area of the wound. "This will rid the wound of bacteria and possible debris," Harry explained to Jane when he noticed that she was staring. "Can't patch up something that's just going to get infected."

He worked fast, and efficiently. Once the wound was clean, he changed the setting of the tool and aimed it down at the wound again. "Closing the vessels," he mumbled as a small light, similar to a small torch, burned the severed vessels closed and the bleeding subsided quickly.

"That's the worst of it," Harry said. "Let me stitch this up, and then we'll run you through some tissue regeneration, all right?"

"T-Tissue regeneration?" John gulped.

"Don't worry. It's not as bad as it sounds," Jane assured him. "It's a bit itchy, but not that bad."

"Jane, could you get the machine going? It needs a few minutes to warm up before we can use it," Harry said.

Jane nodded. "I'm on it." She walked across the room and looked at the machine's display. Harry had already turned it on, but it needed to be activated. She connected her to it via her omnitool and began preparing it for use. It hummed as it started the preparation process.

Harry was in the middle of stitching Johan up. He was very precise and had already done three neat stitches with strange blue thread. "It will dissolve as you heal. You're doing good, Johan."

"Like a real champ," Jane nodded. "I needed two doses of anesthesia." She tried to lighten the mood, and from the smile that appeared on Johan's face, Jane could tell that it was working.

Johan looked to be feeling better, and his two friends looked less worried. Once he'd gotten his stitches and been through his first session of tissue regeneration, he was sent home. He left the medbay, followed closely by his two friends.

Jane waved at them when they left and then returned to Harry who was washing up and cleaning tools in a wide sink. "You were amazing," Jane said.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Jane. Thank you for your help."

"Oh, I can follow orders," Jane said with a smile. She sighed and stood beside Harry and washed her hands in the sink next to his. "What would this place be without you?"

Harry chuckled and glanced over at Jane. His face fell, and he let out a sigh. "Oh, Jane..." He mumbled, wiping his hands dry on one of the towels before he grabbed Jane by the shoulders and turned her to face him.

Jane blushed as he eyed her. "W-What?"

Harry's eyes wandered down to the red stain on her shirt. "You can't go around the station looking like that. If anyone sees you you'll cause a small panic," he shook his head.

"I didn't exactly bring anything to change into," Jane said after inspecting the stain. It wasn't going to wash out with normal soap and water. Besides, the stain was too big for her to wash it without taking it off. She thought about doing just that for a minute but decided against it. It wasn't the time nor place to get naked.

"I think I have something in the office." Harry gestured for her to follow. "Something to cover you up with, at least."

Jane followed him into his office, and he handed her a red jacket. "Here," he said. "This should cover the stain, no station panic." He smiled, and Jane took the jacket from him.

"Thank you," she mumbled. She draped the jacket over her shoulders and pulled the zipper up. It was too big for her, the shoulders too wide and the arms too long. Harry eyed her, giving a slow, appreciative nod. "Thank you, Harry." Jane looked up from the jacket and met his eyes.

The doctor smiled at her and nudged her chin. "Don't mention it," he said. "It's late anyway. You head out and get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Jane nodded. "Y-Yes... absolutely."

Harry followed her to the door. He was going to stay behind and clean up. He refused Jane's help when she offered to stay, and she was sent back to the Tempest for a night of well-earned rest. She walked slowly to the tram, and when she got to the docks, she stopped several times just to think.

She wanted to talk to Harry. To tell him how she felt and convince him that they should be together. Of course, part of her was certain that she was going to be faced with refusal, but she liked Harry too much to come up with reasons to let it go.

The Tempest was rather empty. The only ones who stayed on the Tempest when they were docked at the Nexus were Cora, Liam, Gil, the Ryder Twins, and now Jaal. Everyone else seemed to have a place to go, whether it was to visit someone or if they had apartments of their own Jane wasn't certain. Gil had an apartment somewhere on the Nexus, but whenever they asked about it he'd always say that he'd rented it out to a cult. They still weren't sure if he was joking or not.

Jane snuck aboard and locked herself up in the shower. Washing up and getting rid of the bloodied clothes, tossing them down the laundry chute and putting on new ones.

"Jane?" A sleepy Liam muttered when she stepped into the crew's quarter. "Is that you? What the hell are you still doing up?"

"Nothing, go to sleep, Liam."

Liam grunted something before turning over and falling back asleep. Jane held Harry's jacket close to her chest. It smelled clean but distinctly like Harry did whenever Jane had gotten close enough to catch a whiff.

Jane could not sleep. Her thoughts were all on Harry Carlyle and his handsome smile and irresistible charm. She physically ached when she thought of him. She had to tell him. Had to do something. She'd go mad if she didn't. It didn't matter what he told her. If she didn't tell him she wouldn't be able to go on.

She'd tell him, she thought to her self... One day.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric and Cora have a chat, and Jane takes a leap of faith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be briefly mentioning age here and I'd just like to take a moment to address it to clarify a bit.  
> I read somewhere (and I headcannon) that humans have increased their lifespan due to healthier lifestyles and advanced technology. Let's say the average human lives to be about 120-150 years at this point. Scaling (past the age of about 16-18) the humans' lifespan and doing some calculations (I spent too much time and thought on this tbh) I'd say that The twins are around 27-29 years old, while Harry would be on his 101th year. (Again, my headcanon. I'll type down after the chapter what I think the characters' age is.)  
> Both twins are, of course, adults (but considered young) so don't toss me into the hellfire or anything. 
> 
> Anyway. Enjoy :)

"Hey," Cora yawned as she entered the kitchen. She smiled as Jane when she spotted her on the other side of the table. "You're up early," Cora pointed out.

"Yeah..." Jane mumbled. "Had a lot on my mind. Couldn't think of a point to stay in bed," she confessed.

"You okay?" Cora asked as she poured herself some coffee that Jane had made. "You look thoughtful."

Jane hesitated. "I'm fine."

Cora didn't look particularly convinced but she said nothing as Gil walked into the galley, yawning and grumbling things under his breath as he helped himself to not one, but two cups of coffee. He turned around and looked a the two women with narrowed eyes. "Remind me what day it is," he muttered.

"Feels like a Monday," Jane said.

"Agreed," Gil said as he took a long sip of one of his drinks. "Jane, you still up for tech session tonight?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, sure," she said but took a moment to try and remember what she'd previously promised. "What were we doing again?"

Gil hummed and rubbed his fingers over his chin. "We were taking a look at the omniblades, right? And you said something about Eric's amplifier." Jane remembered and gave a nod. "I have a few ideas for blade designs. What if we made them like a pirate scimitars? Oh! Or like katanas?" Gil sounded eager, but it was obvious that Jane wasn't paying attention. "Jane, babe?"

"Huh?" Jane smothered her hand over her face. "I mean, yeah, sure."

"It really must be Monday," Gil said, grinning at Jane. "You awake yet?"

"No, I... I have this thing that I should do... but... I don't know if it's the right time. Maybe I should push it to the next time we dock?" she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. 

Gil shrugged his shoulders and pouted his lips. "There's no time like the present, right? And who knows when we'll come back? It could be weeks," he pointed out and drank from the cup in his left hand. "It's not like you to push, Jane. What are you up to?"

Jane got up, a determined expression on her face. "I have a very important thing to do," she said. "You're right, Gil. I don't push things and I don't know when we'll be back the next time. Thank you for reminding me."

"Uh, you're welcome?" Gil drank from the cup in his right hand. "Wait, what did I just convince you to do?" he asked when Jane walked out of the galley.

"Sorry, no time to chat. I have to go," she said before disappearing out of sight.

Gil and Cora looked at one another with puzzled expressions. "Is she okay?" Gil asked.

"I don't know," Cora admitted. "I think she said something about not sleeping."

"Are you sure she was awake, and not sleepwalking?" Gil grinned.

"Almost sure," Cora said.

Just then, Eric walked into the room, looking the most awake out of all of them. He smiled at Gil and Cora. "Morning," he said. "Passed Jane in the corridor, you know where she's headed?"

Cora shrugged her shoulders and made room for Eric on the couch. "Important business, apparently," she said. "Wouldn't tell us, though."

Eric hummed silently. "She's been acting a bit strange lately. Not sure what's with her. The last time she was like this was when her favorite band was in town, back on Earth," he said. "It's like she's waiting for those turians in leather all over again..."

"Who knows, really?" Gil asked, somehow managing to sip from both cups he had at once. "Anyway, I've got a report that's due yesterday. I better get that done before someone starts shouting. Adios." He stepped out of the galley. Leaving Cora and Eric alone. 

They hadn't been alone together since that night in Eric's room and Cora could still feel a tinge of embarrassment when she thought back at it. "So," she mumbled. "What's on today's agenda?"

"You don't have to make small talk, Cora," Eric smiled to himself, picking up on the forced tone of her voice. "What happened the other night was weird, but let's not dwell on it, okay?" he said. "You out of all people know I don't handle awkward very well."

Cora relaxed, letting a chuckle slip. "I know," she nodded. "I don't handle it well either." 

A part of her was slightly disappointed in Eric's words. Sure, she wanted to try and get rid of the awkward air that had lingered between them since that night, but she didn't want to disregard the whole thing. Her feelings were still quite real.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Perhaps," Cora mumbled. "It's not that important, and I feel bad talking about it."

Eric hesitated. "I don't know if you've noticed... but I feel bad talking about a lot of things, still... people, especially Lexi, makes me talk about it," he said. "That night when you kissed me..." Cora almost recoiled at the bluntness on Eric's voice. "I was in a bad place, but I can't say I didn't want it. I wanted you to stay, but I knew things would end badly if you did."

"I understand," Cora said. "And it does make me feel slightly better."

"See?" Eric said with a smile. "Talking helps, more than you know."

There was a slight pause between them. The pause being anything but awkward. If anything, it was littered with anticipation. 

"I just-" 

"Could we-"

They spoke at the same time, one interrupting the other. "Please," Eric said. "Go on."

Cora smiled at him, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "I admire you, Eric. You're a leader when no one else steps up, and you don't back down for anything. I care about you, I really do, and I just want you to know, that I'll always be by your side."

"Thank you, Cora," Eric said, his gaze wandering around the room before landing on Cora again. "I care about you too, and... since we're here on the Nexus, and actually have a few moments of free time..." he trailed off but quickly picked his sentence back up. "Care to go out for a drink? Just... you and me?"

"I'd like that," Cora said with a nod and a smile. "I'd really like that."

-

Harry woke up early, despite going to bed in the small hours. He was used to little sleep. Being a doctor meant work, work, and more work. Especially now, when the Nexus couldn't afford to defrost anyone. They really were short on everything.

He was currently sorting patient journals. Since Eric had been granted authority of stasis pods revivals, Harry had taken on the liberty to sort through the files. Some pods had been misplaced, and because of that, the order of journals and scheduled revivals had been jumbled. Harry didn't mind the work, and he was certain Eric wouldn't have the time.

Harry glanced over his shoulder when the door to his office opened. He was certain it'd be one of his coworkers and didn't pay much attention until he noticed that it wasn't any of the other doctors, but Jane.

She looked bothered but said nothing as the door behind her slid shut and closed the two of them into the room.

Harry was surprised to see her. He'd expected her to come by but not so early. They'd been up very late and he was certain that she'd be sleeping in. She didn't look particularly tired but there was something not right about her. She had his jacket in her hands and her fingers ran up and down the smooth fabric. 

Jane usually smiled when she stepped into his office, beaming at him and asking him what he was up to before the door behind her had even had the time to close. Now she was silent and avoided looking directly at him. It unnerved him. Something must have happened.

"Jane," Harry said, rising from his seat while still holding onto the datapad he'd been using a moment ago. 

The young woman looked around the room. It was dimly lit by the many monitors on Harry's desk. The datapad in his hand seemed to be displaying a medical record and streams of numbers, vitals of various kinds, were displayed on the screen. It was as it always was. Nothing had changed in the room other than the state of Harry's desk. It was cleaner than the night before. The coffee cups and dossiers were gone, replaced by a micro flash drive. 

She'd walked around the Hyperion for a while, working up the courage for what awaited.

"You're back already. Do you need anything?" Harry asked.

Jane glanced over her shoulder at the door. "Yes," she said and turned back to Harry, walking closer and draping his jacket over a nearby chair. "I need to speak with you. It's very important."

Harry suddenly seemed alert. "What is it? Has something happened?"

"It's not like that, Harry," Jane mumbled. She stood before him, her eyes wandering around the room, its walls, floors and the monitors. "I have something to confess."

Harry nodded slowly. "You do know that Lexi is your assigned physician, don't you?" he asked. "She's a very skilled doctor, she's got more experience than I have. Perhaps, if you need to talk, you should speak with her first?"

Jane shook her head. "No," she said. "I don't need a session, Harry. I need... I need to talk to  _you_." Her voice was silent but determined. She stepped closer, standing only a foot or two away.

"You know I'm always here to listen, Jane."

Jane had to close her eyes for a moment to gather her courage. She didn't know what Harry would say or do, she wanted to be prepared but knew that she couldn't possibly be prepared for everything. "Harry..." She said, taking a deep breath and opening her mouth to continue. "I can't stop thinking about you."

It was the beginning of a confession and Harry suddenly realized just what kind of confession it was. "Jane," he said, bringing his free hand up to his face and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No," Jane interrupted him, opening her eyes to give him a pleading look. "You said you would listen." She reached forward and grabbed the sleeve of his tunic. "I can't concentrate. I can't sleep. I need to tell you this. I want to be with you."

"Christ," Harry sighed. "Jane, you know we can't. I'm too old for you."

A weak smile spread across Jane's face. "We're both over six hundred years. I don't think age is the problem."

Harry shook his head and glared at her. "Don't get smart with me, Jane. What would your father have said?" Harry asked, turning Janes' smile into a frown.

"My father isn't here," she said. "But he would tell me to follow my heart. That's what he did when he married my mother," Jane gulped and tightened her grip on Harry' sleeve. "'Fall in love, at least once'."

"And in two galaxies to chose from you went and fell for me?" Harry asked. "Jane, I'm flattered but it's hardly appropriate."

"I don't care."

"Jane."

"Harry, please," Jane looked up at him. Her eyes were pleading, her lips pressed into a nervous pout and her brows lowered into a slight frown. She let go of his sleeve and Harry let his arm fall back to his side. She reached forward again, placing her hand on his chest.

Harry winched. "Jane," he said. "We can't, I-..." his through spun as her fingers curled themselves around his tunic. "You can do better."

Jane shook her head, slowly but confidently. "Harry, I want this. Tell me you don't want me, and I'll leave," she said. "Please, just... please."

Harry closed his eyes, relishing the warmth radiating from her body, the feel of her hands on his chest. He gripped the datapad in his hand tightly, while his free hand clenched into a fist. Something in him told him to jump at the chance, that an opportunity to love again presented itself to him and he should take it. Jane was beautiful, kind and brave. He'd thought about her a lot, and he'd be lying if he said that she didn't cross his mind more than was appropriate...

But she was Alec's daughter and much too young for him. He was more than three times her age and he was almost convinced that Jane should be with someone her own age. Almost because it was hard to convince yourself to give something up when it's right in front of you, asking you not to give it up.

"I can't-..." he shook his head. He had to close his eyes. He couldn't look at Jane and tell her 'no'. No matter how much he wanted to. "Jane, you can do better than an old man like me."

"I don't want anyone but you," Jane persisted stepping closer.

He felt her breath on his neck and he let out a silent groan. Jane put her hand behind his neck and gently pulled him towards her, Harry didn't stop her and he didn't open his eyes. Her nose nudged his, inquisitive as if making sure he wouldn't pull back. Harry didn't move.

There was a short pause before Jane carefully pressed her lips against his. Warily and trying at first, but when it was clear that Harry was not going to protest or pull away, she grew confident.

Harry stood still, frozen for a moment before he melted into the kiss. Prejudice be damned, he thought, dropping the datapad, not caring whether it broke or not, and wrapped his arms around Jane, pulling her close and squeezing her so tightly she yelped.

He loosened his grip and Jane pulled away. They stared at one another before leaning into another kiss, both so eager their teeth clashed against each other. There was tension between them, and they both felt that the kiss was long overdue.

The door to the room suddenly slid open. Jane and Harry jumped away from each other, trying to salvage the situation despite being caught doing something they shouldn't. Luckily, whoever had walked in didn't seem to have noticed and had his face tilted down at his omnitool.

"Liam," Jane said when she saw who it was and tried to casually straighten her shirt. "What are you doing here?"

Liam looked up from his tool and smiled. "Eric asked me to come and find you. There was something he wanted you to see, he's in your father's old quarters."

Jane nodded. "I'll see him right away," she said and glanced at Harry. "I should go," she smiled at him. "Perhaps we can speak again later?" She suggested and the doctor hesitated before he nodded.

"Jane..." Harry frowned, looking flustered and lost.

The young woman ignored the pleading look he gave her. She couldn't stand a refusal, not after that kiss. She hurried out the door, following Liam and leaving Harry alone in his office. 

Harry sighed and smothered a hand over his face. This was bad. They'd been so close to being found out. He didn't even want to start thinking about what could happen if everyone found out.

If they reacted like they would home at earth, he'd rather fling himself out through an airlock than hear the gossip.

He bent down and picked the datapad from the floor. He nearly dropped it again when the doors opened. "Harry!" Dr. Myron Boyd said. "Didn't mean to frighten you, are you busy?"

Harry shook his head. "Not at the moment," he said. "What do you need?"

"Tracey Coleman's been asking for you. It's the nerves, you know how she is," Myron said. "Is there a chance you could go and check on her? She says she won't leave until she's spoken to you."

"I'll be out there in a minute," Harry nodded.

"Great, I'll go and make sure she doesn't climb the walls." He left again, and Harry watched the doors slide close.

The moment he was alone, Harry brought his omnitool up to send a message to Jane, but no matter what he did he couldn't think of the right words to use. He didn't want to invite her back, but he didn't want to push her away. It was probably for the best if what they'd just said and done remained unmentioned and forgotten. Though, he knew that this was only the beginning.

Harry took a deep breath and then walked out to the medbay. All thoughts of Jane would have to wait until after work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters ages (what I think/headcannon). Remember that the scale is a bit different. 21-30 is young but experienced, 30-50 is still young but very experienced (time still grants experience and knowledge), 50-65 I'd generalise as a current human's 30-40, 65-80 is like middle age, 80-110 would be the years leading to retirement, 115- would be generally be considered retired (with exceptions) and it's when they move closer to 130 that they are considered elderly (depending on the individual.
> 
> Jane / Eric: 27  
> Alec(when he passed): 111  
> Harry: 101  
> Cora: 30  
> Liam: 29  
> Gil: 40  
> Suvi: 38
> 
> As for the non-human characters, I'm not sure. Like we know that both Drack and Lexi are centuries old, Peebee I think says she's a hundred something (young for asari apparently), but Jaal and Vetra I don't know. They seem to fall in the young but experiences category.  
> (Yes, I spend a lot of time thinking about these things :P


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day goes on. Eric puts the Pathfinding business aside for a while to go out for drinks with Cora.

"Are you alright, Jane? You look a bit flustered."

Jane's cheeks burned with a blush she was certain she couldn't hide. "Yes!" She said, just a little bit too fast and loud. "Harry just told me the funniest joke. You wouldn't believe how much I laughed, that man's hilarious."

Liam looked confused. "I suppose so," he mumbled. "What was the joke?"

"Oh, no one will tell it as well as Harry. You better ask him," Jane swatted her hands around, not so subtly trying to fan her face and get rid of the blush on her cheeks. "What was it that Eric wanted?" she asked, trying to change the subject. 

Luckily, Liam didn't seem to catch on to her suspicious behavior and shrugged his shoulders as they entered the tram that would take them to the Habitation Deck. "Not sure. Whenever he's in SAM Node, or in his father's quarters, I seem to lose him a bit. The talking to himself and all that."

Jane smiled fondly. "Yeah," she said. "He's like that. I'll talk to him," she promised.

"Right. I'll check in on Captain Dunn, heard she's going to be training new pilots soon. I want to see the list, and possibly find myself on it," Liam said with a smile. "Drinks with me and Peebee later?"

"Actually, I think I'll pass," Jane said. "I've promised Gil a thing."

"No worries. Next time."

"Sure."

They parted ways in the large common area of Habitation, and Jane made her way to SAM Node. Eric was nowhere to be found, but SAM flickered at the center of the room, the glowing orb turning and twisting when Jane entered.

"Hey, SAM," she said. "Have you seen my brother?"

"Yes. He is in your father's quarters, waiting for you."

Jane nodded. "And how is he?"

SAM was silent for a moment. "He is well. Better than he has been in a while, but he wishes for you to join him."

"I'll head in there right away. Stay cool, SAM." Jane waved at the big glowing orb that represented SAM and went to see her brother.

\--

Harry wiped his hands on one of the many white towels and tossed it in the laundry basket a few feet away. There was a heavy feeling in his chest. Worry, and a tad bit of regret. His fingers itched, and his brows were seemingly stuck in a frown.

Myron walked over to him and have his shoulder a pat. "Thank you for handling Coleman. She won't have anyone else look her over," he said and gave Harry another, more playful, pat. "I think she's crushing on you, doctor." He winked.

"Very funny," Harry said. 

"What? Not your type?" Myron asked. "She's not that bad."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Not my type is one reason," he said. "Another is that she is my patient. It's not appropriate." He felt ashamed for saying that. Being with a patient was inappropriate but being with your dead best friend's daughter, who was more than half a century younger than you wasn't? His stomach twisted with guilt.

Dr. Boyd shrugged. "I suppose you're right," he said. "There is plenty of company to be had around here. More to be defrosted soon it seems."

"I've seen the Pathfinder's schedule." Harry nodded.

"The kid's doing one hell of a good job. Can't say I envy him and all that responsibility," Myron sighed. "You keep in touch, right?"

Harry nodded again. "I try and help out where I can. I feel responsible for him."

"I can tell," Myron said. "The sister's been here a lot, too. Jane, right?"

Harry tensed at the mention of Jane. "She's been here to visit, yes," he said. "For better or worse," he muttered.

"Better, I'd say," Myron said with a grin. "She's easy on the eyes and knows her stuff. She helped repair my datapad the other day. Spared me the trouble of getting a new one issued from the top. Kind of her."

"Very," Harry agreed. "I've got lots to do, we can talk later."

Myron nodded and wandered off to take care of his own tasks while Harry worked on the other side of the med bay, but while Myron greeted patients and visitors with a smile, Harry kept to the sidelines, taking care of equipment and catching up on journals. 

He was deep in thought as he went on with his day. His thoughts were mostly on Jane, and when they weren't on Jane, they were on his work and his position on the Nexus. Could he lose his position if he decided to be with Jane? Would they ask him to step down? Would anyone be bothered? And if they were would it be because of the age gap, or because Jane was Alec's daughter or the sister of the Pathfinder?

A thousand reasons ran through Harry's mind, and all made him feel worse. Harry wouldn't be able to stand it if he lost his job, he loved what he did and felt that he had years left until retirement. However, he wasn't entirely sure that he'd be able to live with himself if he turned Jane down. Surely, that would make her visits less frequent. Perhaps she would tell her brother, who'd also stop coming. Jane and Eric were all the family Harry had in Andromeda.

Whatever Harry choose to do, he knew that life was about to change in some way. For better or worse.

-

"I'll look into it first thing tomorrow morning," Eric said. "Something doesn't feel right about this."

"I agree," Jane said. "Sure you want to put this on ice, though?"

Eric gave a bashful smile but quickly tried to conceal it with nonchalance. "I'm sure it can wait a couple of hours. I'm going to go and have drinks with Cora."

His sister grinned at him. "Drinks with Cora," she said. "I see." Her voice was teasing, and the look on her face told Eric that it'd be a while before Jane would let this go. "You and Cora, huh? I'm not surprised, actually. It's been a long time coming, to be honest."

"Is that so?" Eric sighed.

Jane nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched her brother all but squirm before her. "You kind of clicked, you know. Then again, you click with most people, Eric. There was a moment I thought you'd end up with Gil."

"Gil, really?" Eric asked with a smile. "Well, he has a great sense of humor."

"Right?" Jane smiled. "Which reminds me. Gil and I have a night of fun planned out. We're making omni katanas," she said with a wink.

"You're joking?"

"Only if it doesn't work," Jane said with a chuckle and headed towards the door. "You have fun on your date, and don't stay out too late. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Eric laughed. "That's not saying much."

Jane chuckled again and waved at her brother as she exited the quarters and headed back towards the tram. Eric lingered. "SAM," he said. "Would you look into security footage and records while I'm... out?"

_"Yes, Pathfinder,"_  came SAM's reply.  _"As your sister say,_ 'have fun'. _"_

It sounded out of place for SAM to say, but Eric appreciated it. "Thanks, SAM," he mumbled before closing down his father's computer and leaving the room to head off and meet Cora. He wondered briefly if he should stop by at the Tempest and change, or shower since the meet up was a date in all but name.

He decided against it. This time, it could be more casual. 

Eric was delightfully surprised to see that he and Cora had arrived at the same time. When he stepped out of the tram and turned right, he spotted Cora come walking from the docks. He waved at her, and she waved back as they walked towards one another to meet.

"Hey," Eric said once they were close enough to talk. "Drinks?"

"Yes, please," Cora nodded. 

They walked together, slower than they usually would. More often than not they both had things to do and places to be, but that night it was a nice change to be free of most responsibilities and obligations.

"Cora," Eric said, stopping Cora right before they entered the Vortex. "Tonight, let's not talk about work."

For a moment Cora looked bewildered until she smiled. "That sounds good," she said with a nod. "I'm more than okay with that."

"Good." Eric reached out and grabbed hold of Cora's hand, leading her into the Vortex. They got seats and drinks and sat close to one another as they talked. First, about nothing in particular or trivial things like the food on the Tempest, the crew, and eventually their actions around the cluster.

"If you could pick one of the places we've been to, where would you settle?" Cora asked, leaning her chin in her hand after taking a sip of her drink. 

Eric thought for a few moments, considering all the places they'd seen so far. "I can't really tell just yet. But what we've seen looks pale compared to Aya. Shame it isn't an option."

"Yeah," Cora agreed.

"What about yourself?"

Cora shrugged. "Who knows?" She asked. "The ruins of Habitat 7 made me think that the place might have been beautiful once. But Eos has potential. If the terraforming really works... who knows what it will look like in a couple of years."

"You're so much more of a dreamer than I thought," Eric said with a smile. "You looked so dreamy I felt genuinely hopeful. Helius is just a work in progress."

Cora blushed. "You're making me sound much better than I am."

"I don't know. I think you're pretty great."

"Says the Pathfinder."

Eric smiled. "Aren't you lucky," he murmured. 

It was nice to be with Cora. Eric liked her a lot, and he liked her more than a lot when she wasn't stiff as a board and submerged in work and reports. Talking freely, and flirting was the best time he'd had since he'd woken up in Andromeda.

It appeared that Cora thought the same.

"Eric?" Cora interrupted Eric's train of thoughts. 

Eric looked at her. "Hm?"

"You spaced out," Cora smiled. "I asked about your life before the Initiative."

"Oh," Eric said. "We knew each other before, Cora," he pointed out. "Alliance life wasn't all that interesting."

Cora chuckled, shaking her head and leaning back in her seat. "Yes, well. I mean outside of work," she said. "I know Jane was seeing someone up until a few months before we departed. But you? You're a mystery."

Eric grinned. "Why, Cora, I'd like to think I'm an open book. Most of the time anyway." He waved at the bartender who soon came over with two drinks before wandering back to the bar with a grunt. Eric took his time to answer. "I saw people," he admitted at last. "Parted willingly with some, unwillingly with others."

"Did you leave anyone behind?"

"We all did, didn't we?" Eric smiled. "I suppose in a way I did. When the opportunity to come here presented itself, it was only natural for me to go... she didn't want to go, and I couldn't make her. So we said our goodbyes and I went to sleep."

"Really?" Cora asked, eyes widening. "I didn't realize. Jane never mentioned anyone."

"Well, there was." Eric wasn't reluctant to talk about his past, but it certainly wasn't his favorite subject. "I was seeing someone back in the Milky Way. Pretty seriously too. A turian. Edna. Caught her trying to smuggle things past our Relay. We talked for a moment, and she left before I had time to call for backup."

Cora looked smug, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the Pathfinder. "She charmed the wits out of you, didn't she?" she asked, and Eric could only laugh and nod. 

"It must have been her voice. It's just something about turian's and smooth voices that are..."

"Mesmerizing?" Cora supplied, and Eric nodded again. "I get it. Can't say I don't like the sound."

"But in any case. That was then and now is now. You are the only one I stand to be around all the time. Well, apart from SAM but with him, I don't have a choice." Eric picked up his drink from the table and drank. "What about yourself? Was there someone in your life before Andromeda?"

Cora slowly shook her head as she reached for her own drink. "Nothing serious, like your turian. I had some fun here and there, but that was it. I didn't like the thought of committing."

"And then you decided to go to Andromeda."

"I did. It was time to stop jumping around, and start to find a footing," Cora took a deep sip of her drink. "I'm glad I did."

"I'm glad you did too," Eric said and smiled. There was a short pause in the conversation, and finally, Eric rose his glass towards Cora. "To a future," he said.

Cora nodded, and their glass clinked together. "To a future."


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Gil have their tech-night, and Cora and Eric return from their date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw you should be studying for an upcoming seminar but you write fanfiction instead (I'm juggling 4 works right now. kill mee)
> 
> Also. Be gentle with Eric. He is my baby.

"Have at thee!" Gil assumed a challenging pose with the tip of the sword pointed at Jane.

Jane feigned a gasp before snatching the second handle from the workbench and activating a glowing sword of her own. "You won't defeat me, fiend!"

They swung the sword at one another, the blades doing nothing but glide through any obstacles and each other since they Jane and Gil still hadn't perfected their solidity. Now, they were little more than holographic attached to sword hilts.

Gil laughed maniacally. "You fool only yourself, hero! I, Gilentine Bloodfang, am undefeated yet!"

"Until now!" Jane hopped forward swinging her blade at Gil's head.

He dodged expertly and rounded the workbench, all while letting out a än evil laughter. He climbed the table and posed again. "Now, you die!" With surprising dexterity, he leaped off the table, jabbing the sword through Jane's body and landed gracefully before her with a grin.

Jane was giggling and uttering exaggerated death sounds all in one as she fell to her knees and held her hand over her heart. "I have failed," she groaned before falling to the floor and dramatizing her death, complete with comic twitching and sticking her tongue out.

Gil deactivated his sword and laughed so loudly and magically that he had to stop to cough and clear his throat. Jane peered her eyed open and grinned up at him. Gil offered his hand and helped her off the floor. "You know," he said. "Once people start popping out babies, we could start a toy shop."

"I'm afraid we'd be a bad influence of the kids," Jane said. "A whole generation of maniacs."

"Little evil geniuses." Gil wiped a fake tear from his eye.

Jane clapped her hand on his shoulder. "How about we grab ourselves some coffee and try and make these bad boys solid?" she asked.

"That's my life motto," Gil said. "Well... one of them."

They hooked their arms together and headed out of the tech lab to make their way to the galley. 

Jane turned the coffeemaker on and then turned to Gil - who was rummaging through one of the cupboards, clearly on the hunt for something.

"You got a secret stash of goodies in there?" Jane asked, half joking, half hopeful.

Gil smiled. "Of course. You think I'd leave the Nexus without something to keep me going? You've seen me drink coffee, Jane. I need a bit of extra fuel to keep the engines going."

"Understandable," Jane said with a smile and stepped aside when Gil triumphantly produced a shiny bottle from the far back of the cupboard. "What are we having?"

"A bit of heaven in disguise." Gil eyed the bottle. "I could drink a gallon of this as it is, not that I should nor would mind you. But a drizzle in a cup of coffee and it warms me up in all the right places."

"Exciting."

"Very."

They waited for the coffee to be done and Gil poured a decent dose of the liquor in each cup before stashing it back in its hiding spot. They toasted and drank.

Jane hummed appreciatively. "That hits the spot."

"Doesn't it?" Gil grinned and sat down by the table. "So." He folded his hands over the table and gave Jane a stern look. Jane chuckled, he looked like he was about to read the news, or possibly ask Jane if she was ready to become a millionaire.

"So what?" Jane asked, seating herself by the other side of the table.

"Don't act innocent with me, missy. You've been especially sneaky for a while now and I'll have you know I can't stand sitting in the dark." Gil pouted his lips as he slowly rose his cup to his lips to drink. "Time to spill some secrets," he said before taking a long sip of coffee.

Jane felt her cheeks slowly heat up, but tried her best to act nonchalant. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about," she said even though she knew that line never works.

Gil clicked with his tongue and shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"Everyone is hiding something, Gil."

"True, and I'm a nosey person. Wanna spill the beans, or do I have to stir them up first?"

Jane contemplated for a moment. She wanted to tell Gil what was going on but she knew she couldn't talk about what happened. Harry would no doubt get into trouble should anyone find out. Then again, she could tell much without details.

"There's this guy," she admitted at last.

"I knew it." Gil grinned. "But please, carry on."

Jane sat thoughtfully for another moment while Gil waited for her to continue, fingers dancing impatiently up and down the side of his coffee cup. "It's... complicated. A bit of a Romeo and Julia situation... or... well... Julia and her forbidden crush anyway."

Gil nodded. "Love a good drama. Let me guess... he's an ex-military man with a dark past that came to Andromeda to run away from his the crimes that caught up to him?" Gil guessed. "Or he's a smuggler who has illegally brought gallons of expensive seeds from the Milky Way and now he's on the run from Initiative law enforcement?"

"Not even close," Jane said with a smile. "We're... a bit different and... that's about it actually."

Gil hummed and scratched his chin. "Different being... not human?"

Jane, who'd already regretted saying anything, frowned. "I don't really want to talk about it anymore. It's stressful enough as it is."

"I'm pushy, right? Sorry. I like gossip."

Jane sipped on her coffee, appreciative of the warmth that roused in her stomach. "It's okay, Gil. It's just been gnawing at me and... it's in a bit of a grey area right now."

"Ah..." Gil nodded. "So when I told you not to put anything on hold earlier, you jumped in... didn't you?"

"Told him how I felt," Jane confirmed. "Then I kissed him."

"And how did that go?"

Jane blushed but a smile spread across her face. A fond and gentle smile that gave away her girlish crush. "The kiss was amazing. I felt like I was walking on clouds afterward..."

Gil matched her smile. "Sounds like it went pretty good then."

"I don't know." Jane's face fell into a worried frown and she looked down at her drink, squirming where she sat.  "I had to leave before we had a chance to... uh... talk."

"Ah. Talk. Of course."

"I feel as if I should have stayed but I couldn't... unless I wanted to out us."

"Tricky," Gil commented before giving Jane a sly look. "I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it."

Jane smiled weakly at him. "It's your fault for feeling so trustworthy."

Gil laughed. "Well, sorry. I'll try to stab you in the back every now and then to keep you on your toes."

"Thank you." Jane sighed and shook her head. "Enough about me, and my troubles," she said, taking a deep sip of her spiked coffee. "It's high time you tell me something embarrassing about yourself, Gil Brodie."

With another hearty laugh, Gil reached up to scratch himself on the head. "Everything I tell you about myself is embarrassing and coated in a layer of humor to hide my shame. You know that," he said. "But very well, to compensate for your love story in progress, I'll contribute with something... similar."

Jane smiled, leaning closer to listen to the story Gil was about to tell.

-

"You handle drinks surprisingly poorly," Eric chuckled when Cora stumbled for the third time since they'd left the Vortex. 

Cora giggled, shaking her head. She had a delightful flush on her cheeks and her eyes gleamed with a relaxed happiness Eric hadn't seen in her before. "I handle my drinks just fine," she said. "Must be the Nexus crew that's made the floors uneven since we were last here."

It was Eric's time to laugh. "Tell yourself that, if it makes you feel better."

"I suppose." Cora smiled, hooking her arm with Eric's. "So, Pathfinder. Where to next?" she asked eagerly, face so bright and smile so wide Eric couldn't help but adore her. 

"Actually, I don't think we should walk anywhere but back to the Tempest," he said. "Allow me to take you there."

Cora rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, but her smile never wavered. "I didn't realize you could take your drinks so well. These new and fancy Andromeda drinks didn't even make a dent in you it seems."

"I've been told my metabolism is faster than most, and my system isn't picking up the ethanol like others," Eric explained with a shrug. "Meaning... I can drink a lot more than most."

"Lucky you," Cora chuckled.

Eric smiled and shook his head. "Lucky? That means I have to buy more drinks to get buzzed."

Cora seemed to consider his words for a few moments. "I'd pay to see you drunk." She leaned into Eric's side as they walked towards the docks. "I've had a good time. If I didn't know better, I'd invite you to my room."

"You mean the room you share with the rest of the crew, including my sister?"

"Yeah," Cora sighed, grimacing. "Not that tempting."

"Perhaps not. You're welcome to visit mine, though."

They shared smiles and stepped into the elevator down to the bridge. They walked hand in hand towards the Tempest and boarded the ship through the cargo bay.

The ship was silent and dark. Most of the crew were in their respective apartments on the Nexus, with only the human part of the crew, as well as Peebee and Jaal residing on the Tempest.

When they passed the tech lab, they could hear Gil and Jane within, chatting in what seemed to be exclusively technical terms and numbers. The sound of electrical screwdrivers and beeping omni tools were the only sound other than their voices.

Eric turned to Cora, putting a finger over his lips to ask her to be as silent as she could. He knew that if Jane, or Gil for that matter, would spot them, they'd immediately drop what they were doing to ask about his and Cora's night out. Though Eric had nothing to hide, he wasn't really in the mood to talk about his date, that hadn't even officially ended yet.

He and Cora made their way to his quarters, making sure they remained as silent as possible on the way there. But once the door had closed behind them they looked at one another and giggled.

"God, I feel like a teenager who just snuck past snooping parents," Cora said.

"To be honest, those two are probably worse than snooping parents," Eric said with a smile.

Cora slowly stilled her giggling and had a look around in the room. She'd been in Eric's room several times before, but she'd never been one to really look around. But now that she'd been invited, and was reasonably intoxicated, she decided that having a closer look couldn't hurt.

She walked over to the desk, running her fingers over the sleek surface. A blue orb flickered to life on the desk. "Hi, SAM," Cora said. "You still up?"

_"I do not require sleep. But yes. I am still up. The two of_ _you_ _, however,_ _need_ _the rest."_

Eric chuckled from the other side of the room. "We'll be fine, SAM," he assured the AI. "Some privacy, perhaps?"

_"Yes, Pathfinder."_

"Good night, SAM," Cora said.

_"Good night,_ _Cora_ _. Eric."_

Cora watched SAM shut down and turned her attention to the shelves above the desk. They housed several models of ships and cruisers. She smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Eric. "Nice collection," she said.

"It's a hobby." Eric shrugged. "Dad got me started, and I haven't been able to stop. Left quite a lot of it back in the Milky Way, actually," he confessed as he crossed the room to admire the shiny replicas.

They both stood for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, looking at the detailed models and losing themselves in their thoughts. "Do you want to..." Cora mumbled. "Perhaps..."

Eric turned to her, eyes filled with questions.

Not thinking twice about it, Cora leaned over and kissed him. Stepping closer to put her hand on his chest. With a smile and a slight hum, Eric returned the kiss. His insides churned with a pleasant kind of warmth. Affection and fondness settling in his chest.

However, when Cora's hands strayed from his chest to his sides, his back, to his hips and buttocks is when the warmth slowly was accompanied by an odd discomfort. He stepped back, breaking the kiss and the contact. "Cora," he said.

"What's wrong?" Cora asked. She looked concerned, eyes darting up and down Eric to try and spot what was wrong. When she couldn't find anything she frowned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," Eric quickly interrupted her. "I just... I don't... I'm not really like that."

"Like what?" The concern was evident even in Cora's voice.

Eric tried to think of the right words. "Don't take this the wrong way, Cora. You're beautiful, and I really like you. Like a lot." The more he spoke, the deeper Cora frowned. "I'm just not... I can't really-... well, I can but I don't..." Eric fumbled with his words. He let out a big sigh and decided to try again. "I'm not really into intimacy," he confessed at last. "The physical kind."

Cora's frown faded and confusion replaced the worry. "Really?" She asked.

"Really."

"You... don't really seem the type," she said after a moment's hesitation.

Eric shrugged. "What  _is_ the type?" He asked.

Cora nodded slowly. A blush crept onto her cheeks. "Does that mean you've never..." she left the sentence unfinished, watching Eric's tense expression soften into a slightly more comfortable smile.

"I have," he said calmly. "A few times. It's not really my thing. It's okay but it doesn't really do anything for me."

"Huh."

Eric took Cora's hands in his. "Cora. I really like you. I want to get to know you better, and I want you to get to know me," he said. "I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you too," Cora said. "I just... this took me by surprise. I've never been invited to someone's room and then..." she stopped herself and shook her head. She was starting to sober up, and a headache threatened to surface. "I like you, Eric."

With a smile, Eric stepped closer and kissed her again. When he pulled away, his smile turned mischievous. "You know, just because being physical doesn't do anything for me, doesn't mean it doesn't for you."

"What are you suggesting?" Cora dared to ask.

"That you lie down and I use my mouth for something other than talking."

Cora blinked slowly. Her chest flourishing with heat and lower body shuddering. "Show me what you've got, Pathfinder."

**Author's Note:**

> I really didn't expect to write something like this. I started a one-shot and then I was lost and had to do the whole thing. Gosh...  
> Anyway, here's a thing and I haven't proofread nearly as much as I should but it's past midnight, I have to get up early and I'm still up writing.   
> If you find any mistakes or typos please let me know and I'll fix things up the best I can. Thank you!


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